Sailor Moon: Double Soul
by Queen Azura
Summary: Calliste Xylia moved to Japan to escape her troubles, but her troubles followed her all the way from Crete. Fighting as Sailor Minos, she must protect Sailor Moon and the other senshi from a crazed villain who wants to see all the senshi dead.
1. Default Chapter

Chapter One

A New Battle

Calliste Xylia dropped the last box on the ground and used her pocket handkerchief to wipe the sweat off her forehead. She stood up straight, stretching her sore back, and looked around her new store. Boxes were stacked everywhere, and the shelves and window display were empty. She hadn't even taken down the 'SOLD' sign that hung on the door. She smiled in appreciation at the sight. It was her first store, all her own, after five years of saving. It was a pleasant satisfaction to know that this two-room store and the two-bedroom apartment above it were all hers.

Well, almost all hers.

"Calli, where does this go?" Mikkokusha asked.

Twenty year old Giriaino Mikkokusha was Calliste's dearest friend and business partner. They had met on Crete when they were both thirteen years old, not long after Calliste had discovered her own magical secret, and the death of her parents. Mikko stood waiting, her long black hair tired in a ponytail and her turquoise eyes staring at her friend. Calliste was too happy to notice that her friend held only a small box.

"Put it on the counter," Calliste told her. "I'm going into the back to check on my woodworking equipment."

"I'll clean up a bit in here," Mikko said, her business sense kicking in. "We need to be ready for our grand opening."

Calliste smiled and headed into her workshop. She had been a carpenter and craftsman since she was twelve years old. She had taken it up as a hobby in the orphanage where she had been forced to go after her parent's death. It had been to release her pent-up energy, and had become her livelihood. She had found she had a real talent for manipulating wood and had gone into business with Mikko at the age of seventeen.

Calliste surveyed her new shop with a critical eye. She had supervised the movers when they had placed her delicate and expensive equipment in the room, and she had made sure they put it where she wanted it to be. Most of the machinery she used was very heavy. The rest of her tools were in boxes and she began to unpack, humming softly to herself.

As she leaned forward over a box, her necklace and pendant fell out of her shirt and dangled in front of her eyes as she looked down. Calliste closed her hand around the double-axe pendant, her mood falling as she felt its power coursing through her. This small pendant was responsible for the greatest sorrow and greatest joy of her life. Her tools forgotten, she sat back on her heels. Mikko stuck her head through the door and saw her friend.

"Calli? Are you okay?" Mikko asked.

"I was thinking about them again," Calliste said sorrowfully.

Mikko moved through the maze of boxes to sit with her friend. She put her hand comfortingly on her shoulder.

"It wasn't you're fault," Mikko said, speaking the words she always did when her friend mourned her parents. "You told me it was a robber who broke into your house."

"If I had been stronger, I could have helped them," Calliste said, her tears long since spent. "They were my parents. I should have done something!"

Mikko hugged her friend. "It's getting late. Why don't we call it a day? The apartment isn't nearly this messy."

Calliste laughed. "The apartment looked like a cardboard bomb exploded in it."

Mikko rose. "Either way, it's a change of scenery."

"Thanks, but I think I need some air. I'm going for a walk," Calliste said, heading for the door.

"Don't get lost!" Mikko called after her. "Remember your Japanese lessons!"

Calliste walked without a destination, her mind only half paying attention to where she was going. A few friendly people, noticing she was new to the neighbourhood, greeted her and she forced a smile. She couldn't get the image of her parents out of her mind. She had been very young, only ten years old, and had only received her double-axe pendant five years earlier. She had been too young then to realize what was happening.

A vision of a woman had given it to her in the ancient ruins of Knossos where she was visiting with her mother. The vision had told Calliste to keep it a secret, and five-year-old Calliste had been thrilled to have a secret all her own. At the age of ten, Calliste had been playing with her necklace in her bedroom when suddenly it began to glow. It broke free from her chain and floated above her hand as if waiting for something. Calliste had stared in shock at her secret when she suddenly heard yelling downstairs.

It was late and the house was dark. Calliste was supposed to be asleep but instead she snuck out of her room to see what was going on. She sat at the top of the stairs, concealed by shadows, and peered through the banister at the commotion below. She heard her parents and a stranger's angry voice. She clutched her pendant tight in her hand, wondering if this was why the vision had told her to keep it a secret. Suddenly, her mother screamed and the room was full of a bright light. Her father was thrown into the hall near the stairs, and Calliste could see blood coming from his head.

"It must be you," Calliste heard the stranger say.

The young girl hid her head as her mother was murdered in the same fashion as her father. She had still not seen the robber, but the voice sounded very similar to her own. Calliste made herself as small as possible as the stranger came into the hallway, stepping over the bodies of her parents. She was not very tall and was masked in shadow, but Calliste could tell she had long dark hair and wore a short skirt. She vanished out the front door, leaving Calliste alone.

Now, ten years later, Calliste had been able to leave her past behind her and had fled her island home of Crete for the island of Japan. A fresh start. A new beginning, leaving her battles behind her. She took a deep breath and felt better, and decided to head back home. The sun was setting and she had traveled many blocks, so she turned to retrace her steps when she heard a cry for help. Ahead of her, a young woman was running down the street from a masked man. Her face was full of terror as she tried to lose him down an alleyway. The masked man followed her and they both disappeared from Calliste's sight, but she could predict the outcome. Ducking behind a building, she clasped her hand over her double-axe pendant.

"Minos Sacred Power, Make-Up!" she shouted.

The power of the Cretan Goddess surged through her. A silver tiara in the shape of a snake appeared on her forehead. Wrist-length white gloves and tan coloured boots were on her arms and feet, and a tan coloured vest appeared on her body. A brown and white patched skirt came next, with a heavy belt around her waist which fell longer in the front. Her double-axe settled itself on the front of her belt and her transformation was complete. She was now Sailor Minos for the first time in three years.

She took off down the alley at a run, hoping to catch up with the woman before it was too late. She found them just before the masked man had a chance to strike.

"Minos Ivy Whip!" Sailor Minos called, summoning a chain of ivy.

She struck the robber, entangling him in the plant. The woman gave Minos a frightened but grateful look and ran off. Minos turned to leave when a figure appeared before her. Minos stepped back as the other figure advanced. She had long black hair with a half-white-half-black circle on her forehead and blue star shaped earrings. Her turquoise eyes were hard and cruel, and her mouth twisted into a vicious smile. She wore long white gloves, a short white top leaving her midriff bare, and a short blue skirt. On her feet were tall white boots with a fur trim. Minos' eyes hardened in anger.

"You again," Minos said. "I thought I left you in Crete."

Her opponent's smile increased. "You can't hide forever."

"What do you want from me?" Minos cried in desperation.

"You," the other said. "Only you."

Minos' eyes widened as her opponent launched herself into the air. A new battle had begun.

THREE YEARS LATER…

Usagi stood outside her house, her eyes filling with tears. Haruka and Michiru stood before her, their car behind them packed with all their possessions. Usagi threw her arms around Haruka, her tears flowing freely. The blond racer patted the smaller girl on the back.

"Calm down, kitten," Haruka said. "We'll only be gone for a few months. A year at the most."

Usagi separated herself from her friend and sniffed. "I'll miss you both! I still can't believe you're going on a world tour, Michiru."

The elegant violinist smiled. "I'll write you letters from the various places I stay, if you like."

Usagi's face brightened. "I would like that Michiru-san. Thank you. I'll be sure to watch your international concerts on TV." She paused. "Has Hotaru left yet?"

Haruka nodded. "She left with Setsuna this morning."

Usagi bit her lip, her eyes welling up again. "Chibiusa is in the future, Mamo-chan is studying in America, Setsuna and Hotaru are at the Time Gate, and now you two are leaving on a world tour!"

"We'll all be back before you know it," Haruka said with a wink. "With Galaxia gone, there isn't any reason for us all to stick around."

"And you have your studies to concentrate on, Usagi-chan," Michiru reminded the younger girl. "You're in high school now, remember."

Usagi pouted. "You sound like Ami-chan."

Haruka and Michiru laughed. They said goodbye to Usagi one more time before heading into their car. Usagi watched as the small yellow sports car sped down the street and out of view. With a sigh, Usagi turned and went back into her house to enjoy the rest of her Sunday afternoon.

The phone rang about an hour later, but Usagi was too wrapped up in her own thoughts and memories to hear it. Luna dozed on her bed and Usagi sat on the floor thinking about their toughest battle against Galaxia and how it had nearly cost them everything. Her mind revisited the deaths of her friends, of Princess Kakyuu and the Starlights. Almost unbidden, Seiya's face came into her mind and she remembered that rainy day when he had looked deeply into her eyes and asked "Am I not good enough?"

"Usagi!" her mother called. "Minako is on the phone."

Usagi wiped her eyes where tears had fallen unnoticed and picked up her phone. Behind her, Luna purred in her sleep.

"Usagi-chan!" Minako's excited voice said on the other line. "I found a great store downtown yesterday. A woman there makes things out of wood that you wouldn't believe!"

"Like furniture?" Usagi asked.

"Furniture too," Minako said, "but also little wooden toys and figures. You have to see this place."

"Okay," Usagi agreed, already feeling better. "I'll meet you downtown."

Usagi and Minako met at the Crowns café, where Minako insisted they stop for an ice cream soda before she showed Usagi her discovery. Usagi was never one to turn down food, so she agreed and the two girls slid into their usual booth. A few minutes later, Rei, Ami, and Makoto came through the door of the café. Ami saw them first and waved. The four girls joined Usagi and Minako and soon they were all chatting and enjoying their sodas. Minako told them all about the store.

"That sound really interesting," Rei said, sipping her drink. "How long have they been in business?"

Minako shrugged. "I don't normally go that far, but I got off at the wrong bus stop and had to walk a few blocks to get back here. That's how I saw the place."

"And this woman runs the store by herself?" Makoto asked.

"She was the only one I saw there," Minako replied.

"Well? Let's get going!" Usagi exclaimed, rising to her feet.

"Calm down," Rei snapped. "Some of us aren't done our drinks."

Sheepishly Usagi sat back down as Rei and Ami finished off their sodas. The blue haired girl had been very quiet since they had sat down, as if lost in thought. She smiled patiently at Usagi and Rei's outburst and quickly drank her drink.

"Here it is!" Minako declared triumphantly.

It had been several hours since their sodas at the café, and Minako had led them on a wild goose-chase around downtown Tokyo. Finally, they had arrived at the store, exhausted and sore after wandering around the city all afternoon.

Minako walked up to the door and gave it a strong pull. It didn't budge. She pulled it again and again, growing more angry with every tug. Finally, Mako tapped her friend on the shoulder and pointed at the sign in the window. It read 'Closed'.

Minako sighed. "Sorry everyone. I guess we're too late."

"The light is still on," Ami remarked. "Maybe the owner is still there."

As if in answer to her question, the door opened. The five girls fell back in surprise as a young woman stood in the now open doorway.

"Can I help you girls?" she asked.

She was very tall with blue eyes and waist length wavy black hair. She was wearing dirty jean overalls and a plaid shirt underneath. The knees of her overalls were covered with sawdust and thick work gloves were sticking out of the pockets.

"We're very sorry," Makoto said. "We wanted to visit your store, but we got lost trying to find it."

The girl smiled. "Well, come in and take a look around. I don't often get customers banging down my door."

Minako blushed as the girls filed into the small shop. The owner stood by the door as her customers stared around the store in awe. The shelves and displays were covered in intricately carved wooden objects. There were boxes, toys, figurines, carvings to hang on the wall, chairs, and other pieces of furniture.

"These are amazing!" Usagi commented.

"Thank you," the owner said.

Usagi turned to face the girl. "You made all of these yourself?"

The girl nodded. "I've been doing this for over ten years now. My name is Calliste Xylia."

"Tsukino Usagi," Usagi said before introducing the rest of her friend. She frowned. "You don't look like you're from around here."

"Usagi!" Rei hissed from where she was examining a wooden box.

Calliste laughed. "I've only lived in Japan for about three years. I'm from Crete."

"You speak Japanese very well," Ami remarked.

Calliste bowed. "Thank you. Would you girls like a cup of tea?"

"Sounds great!" Usagi exclaimed.

"Then let me close up down here and we'll go upstairs to my apartment."

As Calliste turned to lead her new friends upstairs, a short figure appeared in the doorway. The girl was very small with black hair and deep purple eyes. She wore black pants and a yellow top with an orange star on the front.

"Je m'excuse, I thought the store was still open," the girl said with a heavy French accent.

"Come in," Calliste invited. "What can I do for you?"

The girl smiled and came into the store. She looked around at the other people in the room before her eyes settled on a familiar face. "Ami-chan!"

"Étoile!" Ami exclaimed.

The other five girls exchanged confused looks. Ami blushed as the new girl came further into the shop. "Étoile is in my advanced calculus class at the high school."

"My mother came in here earlier and bought a toy train," Étoile said to Calliste. "You said to come back later to pick it up after you painted it for her."

Calliste nodded. "Of course. A blue engine, right? Do you want me to wrap it?"

Étoile nodded. "S'il vous plait."

Calliste excused herself and went into the back of the store. Ami introduced the others to the girl.

"I'm glad the store wasn't closed," Étoile commented. "It's my little brother's birthday tomorrow and he's going to love this train."

"How did you find that assignment?" Ami asked.

Étoile shrugged. "Fairly straight forward. I wish they'd challenge us a bit more."

Ami grinned. "I agree completely."

"Now I know where I've seen you!" Makoto said suddenly. "Aren't you in my cooking class?"

Étoile nodded. "I've always admired your skill, Makoto-san. I didn't know if you saw me or not."

Before Mako could reply, Calliste came out of the back with a small box tied together with string. She gave it to Étoile, who thanked her and gave her some money. The small girl said good bye to the others and left the store.

"How about that tea?" Calliste asked.

The girls followed their new friend outside the store and waited patiently as she locked up for the night. The sun was already setting as Calliste led them to a side entrance. She opened the door to reveal a staircase heading above her shop.

"I live up here with my business partner Mikko," Calliste said. "She's gone for a few days to a business conference but I think she'll be back tomorrow."

They followed her upstairs and into her small home. Calliste told them to make themselves comfortable as she prepared the kettle and tea cups. Makoto took a seat near the window and was gazing into the street below when there was a sudden explosion of white light a few blocks over. She turned to her friends, who were already on their feet. Calliste came out of the kitchen.

"What was that?" she asked.

"We don't know," Minako said, heading for the door. "Thank you for the tea, but we really need to get going."

"All right. Please come by again," Calliste said in a confused voice as the girls ran down the stairs.

Calliste moved to the window that Mako had just vacated. Squinting into the growing darkness, she sensed something was wrong.

"Are you sure it was this way?" Eternal Sailor Moon asked.

"Positive," Sailor Jupiter replied. "Hurry up!"

"It's not easy running with these wings, you know," Sailor Moon snapped.

The five senshi skidded around a corner and picked up the pace again. Sailor Mercury had her visor in place and was scanning the area as they ran. She frowned as more and more signs of negative energy became apparent. Suddenly there was another explosion, closer by this time, and the senshi stopped to take in the scene.

Two senshi they didn't recognize were dueling in the street. One was tall with black hair, and the other short with black hair in pigtails. The smaller senshi had a red skirt and kerchief, yellow bows on her fuku, and a star on her forehead. She also wore three white ornaments in her hair like Eternal Sailor Moon. Her back was turned, and she was staring down the taller senshi who wore a blue skirt and short white top with tall white boots.

The smaller senshi was fighting valiantly. She leapt into the air and tossed a few glowing white balls at her opponent.

"Super Nova!" she exclaimed.

The balls of light exploded around the taller senshi and she covered her head with her arms. The small senshi landed facing Sailor Moon and the others, her face visible for the first time. She had deep purple eyes that blinked in surprise.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Sailor Moon," Sailor Moon said. "Who are you?"

"Sailor Stellanova," the smaller senshi said, her voice accented. "You better get out of here while you can. She's very strong!"

The explosive white light had died down and the taller senshi was still standing. Her turquoise eyes narrowed and she began to move forward slowly.

"Stop right there!" Sailor Moon cried. "I stand for love and justice, and I can't stand a bully! In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"

The turquoise eyed senshi smiled cruelly. "More senshi. Fabulous."

"Back off," Sailor Stellanova said, placing herself in front of the others. "I'm the one you want."

"You have no idea what I want," the tall senshi replied.

As she advanced, Stellanova turned to Sailor Moon. Her purple eyes were full of determination.

"Sailor Moon, you and the others get out of here. I'll distract her," Stellanova said.

Before Sailor Moon could answer, Stellanova turned back to her enemy. She held her hands together as if in prayer and bowed her head slightly. The taller senshi kept moving.

"Star light," Stellanova began. Her hands started to glow and she raised her eyes to look at her enemy. "Star bright!"

As she spoke, she opened her hands and a white light exploded from within them. The light was blinding, forcing everyone to look away. When it died down, the menacing senshi was gone.

"Where is she?" Sailor Venus asked.

The group turned to find her standing behind them, smiling.

"No more playing," the senshi said. "Aegyptus Sun Disc!"  
The senshi held her hands above her head and a ball of flames appeared between them. She moved her hands in front of her, shooting the flame at the group of senshi. They tried to leap out of the way of the fast moving ball, and it caught Sailor Stellanova in the chest. She flew backwards and landed hard on the ground, unmoving.

"That's it!" Sailor Jupiter exclaimed.

Jupiter charged at the other senshi, fists flying. The black haired senshi dodged all her blows easily, finally striking Jupiter in the chin with her fist and tossing her into the air. Jupiter fell at her enemy's feet.

"Mars Flame Sniper!" Sailor Mars said, shooting her fiery arrow.

The rival senshi spun around and when she faced her opponents once more, she clutched a black clay jar in her arms. She held out the jar and caught Mars' fire arrow inside it. Mars stared in disbelief.

"My turn," the senshi said. "All Evils Release!"

Wave after wave of dark energy flew from the jar, striking Mars, Mercury, and Venus. The three girls stood against it as long as they could but soon were thrown backwards. The dark energy followed, settling overtop of them as they lay on the ground. Eternal Sailor Moon was left standing alone.

"Sailor Moon, wasn't it?" the dark haired senshi asked, looking her up and down. "Nice wings. You wouldn't know the Moon Princess, would you?"

"Why?" Sailor Moon asked.

The senshi shrugged. "I heard she was a great warrior. No matter, you'll do nicely for this evening's sport."

Sailor Moon stared defiantly at the other senshi. The tall one smiled and laughed to herself. She stepped over Sailor Jupiter and walked toward her prey.

"How shall I kill you?" she mused. "I know. I have some new tricks to try out."

Sailor Moon assumed a fighting stance, silently wishing Mamoru was beside her. The other senshi held up her hand above her head, about to strike, before she was interrupted.

"Sailor Janus!"

Sailor Moon and the senshi known as Sailor Janus turned in surprise. They saw another form silhouetted by the growing darkness of the setting sun. She was tall with long wavy hair. As she moved closer, Sailor Moon saw she wore a tan coloured vest and a brown and white patched skirt with a heavy belt around her waist. Her tiara was silver and shaped like a snake. Her eyes were blue and stared at Janus angrily.

"Sailor Minos," Sailor Janus hissed. "Since when do you walk willingly into a fight?"

"Leave them alone," Sailor Minos said. "Your fight has always been with me." She looked at Sailor Moon. "Get out of here."

"My friends…" Sailor Moon protested.

"Now!" Minos snapped.

Sailor Moon was too startled to disagree. She ran passed Minos but stayed near to watch the battle. She was concerned about her unconscious friends as well as her new ally.

"I've got new tricks to show you," Janus said almost excitedly.

Sailor Minos held out her right hand and a large double-axe appeared. She held it at the ready in front of her body.

"Twice we've battled," Minos said, "and twice I've won."

"Third time's a charm," Janus told her.

Sailor Moon watched with wide eyes as the two senshi battled. Sailor Janus began with the attack that had knocked Venus, Mars, and Mercury out cold, but Minos had calmly deflected it with her axe.

"Minos Sacred Axe!" Sailor Minos yelled, swinging her talisman.

The axe shot several arc shaped projectiles, which Janus managed to avoid. Janus ducked and rolled her way free of the attacks and rose to stand in front of her long time foe.

"Aegyptus Sun Disc!" Janus called.

Minos leapt clear of the ball of flame, and it exploded harmlessly into a wall behind her. Sailor Minos held out her hand and a whip of ivy appeared in it.

"Minos Ivy Whip!" she called, striking Janus with a fierce crack of her whip.

The ivy caught itself around Janus' arm and Minos willed it to contract. Janus' face filled with pain as the ivy grew tighter and tighter around her arm. She spun around and managed to free herself with a remarkable flip and tuck. Minos recalled her ivy and the two faced each other.

"I still haven't seen your new trick, Janus," Minos called.

The turquoise eyed senshi was panting from the night's exertion. Facing down seven senshi in one night took a lot of energy, even for her. She snarled at her opponent and held her gloved hand above her head.

"World Shaking!" Sailor Janus yelled.

Sailor Moon's eyes widened in disbelief as Sailor Uranus' familiar attack soared through the air toward Minos. She couldn't understand how it was possible for this evil senshi to be able to use this particular attack.

Sailor Minos leapt into the air, high above the unfocused attack and landed directly in front of Janus. Minos held her axe at Janus' neck, its edge glinting menacingly.

"Nice trick," Minos said. "Not quite under control yet, I see. This makes you zero for three."

"There will be a fourth," Janus promised. "And a fifth and sixth until I have you."

Minos smiled. "Unless I finish this right now."

Janus returned the grin. "Andromeda Ghostly Mist!"

Sailor Janus suddenly vanished into thin air. Minos stepped back in surprise before cursing angrily and swinging her axe in broad strokes. She began to yell at Janus, insulting her adversary, but she didn't return. With a sigh, Minos dismissed her talisman and turned to Sailor Moon.

"So there are some senshi left," Minos remarked. "Good. That will buy some time."

"That attack," Sailor Moon stammered.

Minos shook her head. "A new one. Another poor soul who lost to Janus and had her powers taken along with her life."

"Her life?" Sailor Moon squeaked.

Minos looked down at the smaller girl. "Did you know her? I'm sorry, but that's how this game is played. Janus is no ordinary senshi. She has no powers of her own, so to speak. She gets them by killing senshi and taking their attacks."

"And you?" Sailor Moon asked, suddenly fearful of this new senshi.

Minos laughed. "I'm the one that got away."

Sailor Minos turned and walked back the way she came, disappearing into the darkness. Sailor Moon watched as around her, her friends slowly woke up.

"What happened?" Sailor Mars asked.

"I think we need to have a meeting," Sailor Moon said. "This is beyond me."

"What about her?" Sailor Jupiter asked, gesturing to where Sailor Stellanova sat rubbing her head.

"We should invite her to join us," Sailor Mercury said. "We all must stick together."

Sailor Moon looked off in the direction Sailor Minos had gone. "Yeah, together."


	2. Allies and Adversaries

Chapter Two

Allies and Adversaries

Rei entered her bedroom holding a tray of drinks. She offered on to Étoile, who sat on her bed with a bandage around her head. Étoile took one gratefully and Rei placed the rest on the small table in her room where the others sat. Usagi and Ami were just finishing up their story, explaining to Étoile everything that had happened to them since the first time Usagi said "Moon Prism Power, Make-Up!"

"That's amazing," Étoile said. "I thought I was the only one until that black haired girl showed up."

"You've been fighting in France?" Minako asked.

"Oui," Étoile said, nodding. "I lived there with my mother and my brother for a long time before moving here. I used to fight horrible creatures in Paris."

"We thought the attacks were only here," Makoto said. "We assumed we were the only senshi on Earth."

Étoile smiled at the comment. "I was given my powers by Miou, a cat with a star symbol on his forehead. He stayed with me for quite some time, but was killed by an evil monster." She glanced down at her drink as she spoke of her guardian.

Usagi and Minako both paled and glanced down at Luna and Artemis, who were listening intently to the girl.

"A cat with a star symbol?" Luna repeated.

Usagi snatched her up and hugged her tightly. "Luna, promise never to get into a fight! I can't imagine what I'd do without you."

"If you don't want me to die," Luna gasped, "you'd better stop squeezing me!"

"The same goes for you, Artemis," Minako said as Usagi released the black cat.

Artemis moved out of Minako's reach. "Okay, sure," he promised.

"If you're here, what's stopping more monsters from attacking Paris?" Ami asked.

Étoile shrugged. "I don't know. It had been peaceful for a few years before I moved here. I thought Sailor Stellanova would never be needed again, until I was attacked tonight. This wicked senshi knew who I was before I transformed!"

Rei frowned. "That could be a problem. If she knows who you are, she could attack you again at any time."

"And next time, Sailor Minos may not save us," Minako added.

Makoto frowned. "We threw everything at this Sailor Janus and it did nothing. Why could Sailor Minos defeat her so easily?"

"She didn't do it easily," Usagi said. "And Janus wasn't defeated. She used Haruka's powers. Minos said its because Haruka was killed…"

Rei sat next to Usagi and put a comforting arm around her shoulder. "We can only hope she's lying, Usagi-chan. Maybe Haruka and Michiru are safe."

"Michiru promised to write," Usagi said, barely able to hold back the tears. "If I don't hear from her, then we'll know, won't we?"

The other senshi said nothing but exchanged worried looks.

Calliste looked up from the TV as the door to the apartment opened. Mikko came inside, pulling her suitcase behind her. Calliste rose to embrace her friend, happy to see her after several days apart. Mikko looked tired and she walked with a slight limp, but was smiling and glad to be home.

"What happened to you?" Calliste exclaimed, noticing her friend's appearance.

Mikko rolled her eyes. "Crazy businessmen. One of them ran over my foot with a heavy suitcase. Too busy talking on his cell phone to hear me yelling at him."

"Ouch," her friend said sympathetically. "Other than that, how was your trip? Tell me everything. Are we bankrupt yet?"

"It was good," Mikko said with a slight grin. "I got us some business further north, a few cabinets and some chairs. Nothing you can't handle."

Calliste grinned. "I hope you got the specifics."

Mikko patted her suitcase. "Of course."

"Why are you back so late?" Calliste asked, moving with her friend to the couch. "I thought your train got in hours ago."

"Yeah, and thanks for coming to get me, by the way," Mikko said dryly.

"I had to mind the store!" Calliste objected.

"The train was delayed," Mikko said. "Sorry, I should have called."

"I wasn't in anyway," Calliste said. "I met a few girls tonight and we were chatting downstairs for a while. I hope they come back to the store again so you can meet them."

Mikko smiled. "I'm sure they'll be back."

The next morning, Usagi left early for school to the amazement of her parents and brother. She planned on meeting Étoile at her house and walking her to school. They had decided at the meeting last night to keep a close eye on Étoile. The new girl was likely to be attacked again since Janus knew her true identity.

She met up with Ami and Makoto, who were already escorting Étoile. The small girl looked very embarrassed to have protectors and she blushed when Usagi showed up to join them.

"Please, mes amies," Étoile said. "This isn't necessary. I can take care of myself."

"We saw what that senshi was capable of," Makoto said. "We're not taking chances."

"The last thing we want is for her to get your powers as well," Ami said. She blinked, realizing what she had just said. "I didn't mean it like that! We don't want her to take your life either!"

Étoile smiled. "I understand, Ami-chan. I appreciate all you are doing, but I'm sure I'll be fine on my own."

"Then just go along with it to make us feel better, okay?" Usagi said.

Étoile nodded. "All right. If this will make you feel better."

Usagi, Ami, and Étoile met Makoto and Minako outside the door to their first period class. For Usagi, Ami, Mako, and Minako, their class was social and cultural studies while Étoile was enrolled in advanced chemistry down the hall. Acting almost like a bodyguard, Usagi escorted Étoile right to the door of the classroom and was about to go in with the girl until she was stopped.

"Please, Usagi-chan," Étoile said. "I'm safely at school. That senshi wouldn't think of attacking me in a room full of students."

Usagi sighed. "You're right."

"And you better go before you're late for class," Étoile reminded her friend.

Usagi's eyes widened and she darted down the hall, yelling a quick goodbye as she ran. Étoile shook her head in amusement and entered her classroom alone.

"Class, we have a special guest today," the sensei said brightly. "Please welcome Calliste Xylia as our guest speaker regarding women in typically male oriented careers."

Minako raised her head from her notebook where she had been doodling and smiled as Calliste entered the room. Minako hit Usagi on the shoulder and winked as the class applauded the arrival of their speaker.

"My name is Calliste," the woman said in a strange accent. "Please excuse my Japanese. I've only been speaking it for three years."

"You speak very well," the sensei complimented her.

Calliste smiled and bowed. "Thank you. I was asked to speak today about my career as a carpenter and woodworker. These two trades are often passed from father to son, but I became a carpenter for … more personal reasons. It was difficult for my business partner, Mikkokusha, and I to get started in this trade. Many people found it unacceptable that I did all the work myself without a husband or male partner to guide me, especially since I was so young. I struggled for many years before moving to Japan. I've brought you all coupons for my store. I hope you and your families will take time to visit."

Calliste looked over at the sensei and blushed. "I'm afraid I don't know what else to tell you." She turned back to the class. "Are there any questions?"

"Where are you from?" someone shouted out.

Calliste smiled. "An island in the Mediterranean ocean, called Crete."

"Why did you leave?" the same student asked.

Usagi noticed Calliste's bright eyes turn sad at the question. It lasted for a split second before the question was answered. "I thought I would find more business here."

Several other questions were asked regarding her business and what kind of things she sold. Calliste brought out some exquisitely carved figurines of small animals made out of wood, and also showed the class some photos of her shop, equipment, and some larger pieces of furniture she had made and carved. Soon the class was over and the students filed out of the room, each one taking a coupon for Calliste's store.

Calliste separated herself from the crowd of students and moved to where Usagi and Minako were standing. She smiled at them and glanced over her shoulder at the students who were ooo-ing and aaa-ing over her carvings.

"I wish they were that excited when they were in the store," Calliste commented.

"How is business going?" Usagi asked politely.

Calliste sighed. "Not as well as I had hoped, but we're getting by. Mikko has been doing a lot of scouting around the country, drumming up business."

Minako smiled. "That's good to hear. My parents need a new table, and I was going to bring them by your store."

Calliste returned the grin. "That would be great. In the meantime, you and your friends should come by and finish the tea we started the other night. Mikko is back in town and she would love to meet you all."

"Terrific," Usagi said. "We'll be there for sure!"

Calliste nodded. The class bell sounded, and the students who had been eagerly pouring over Calliste's work disappeared out the door. Usagi and Minako moved to pick up their own books as Calliste began to pack up her things. Usagi and Minako waved good bye as Calliste spoke with the sensei, and quickly walked down the hall to intercept Étoile on her way to her next class.

The three girls decided to take a less traveled route behind the school while bringing Étoile to her geography class. As Ami pointed out, the mysterious Sailor Janus could be one of the students of the school or even a teacher. Usagi paled slightly at the thought, hating to leave their new friend alone in class if the sensei was really a monster.

"Vraiement, Usagi," Étoile protested. "I can take care of myself."

"I know you can," Usagi replied, forcing herself to sound cheerful, "but none of us can face this senshi alone. She's too strong. We need to stick together until we figure this out."

Mako nodded in agreement as she moved ahead a few feet to make sure nothing was around the corner. As Mako disappeared from view, Étoile paused. She cocked her head to the side as if listening and her eyes widened in horror. She pushed Usagi out of the way as someone leapt down from a tree and landed in front of them.

"Good instincts," Sailor Janus remarked. "I hope they serve us both well."

"I'm afraid I'm not done with them yet," Étoile said angrily.

Janus waved a finger at the petite girl. "Patience, ma chérie. Save some of that energy to fight for your life."

Janus lunged at the girl, but Usagi pushed her out of her way. Ami grabbed Étoile by the hand and pulled her into the forest behind the school, out of sight of the students.

"Run, run, as fast as you can," Janus called after them.

She pushed Usagi roughly aside and leapt into the woods with incredible agility. From around the corner of the building, Sailor Jupiter appeared and crouched next to Usagi.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

Usagi nodded. "We have to follow Ami-chan and Étoile. They're in terrible danger!"

Calliste loaded the last of her carvings into the trunk of her small, beat up car. She smiled up at the high school and thought back to her own time in school, when she had met Mikko for the first time. The minute she first laid eyes on Mikko, she felt a profound connection, which had only increased their friendship. She hated to think of her life without her dearest friend.

Calliste slammed the lid of the trunk closed and paused. The wind rustled through the trees, and a bird called in the distance. Something didn't feel right. The pendent grew warm inside her shirt and Calliste bit her lip in thought. Hesitating only a moment longer, she began to walk into the forest behind the school, following her instincts.

"Go away, you horrible creature!" Sailor Stellanova called, throwing her attack at Janus.

Sailor Janus easily dodged the half hearted throws and landed almost beside Stellanova. She waved a finger as if scolding the small senshi and shook her head. From the nearby bushes, Ami watched, not daring to transform and be discovered.

"Why bother fighting? We both know that I'll win sooner or later. Why make it later?" Janus said.

Ami couldn't wait any longer. She didn't know where Usagi and Makoto were, but someone had to help Stellanova. She quickly transformed into Sailor Mercury and stepped free of the bushes. Janus' head turned around and she smiled cruelly.

"Another senshi? Ami, isn't it?"

Mercury stared at her. "I am Sailor Mercury, and I can't let you take this girl's life or powers."

"You can't let me?" Janus laughed. "My dear, you have no choice!"

Sailor Mercury held out her hand. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" she called.

Janus didn't move as the attack sailed right towards her. At the last possible moment, she leapt into the air and laughed as the attack harmlessly struck a tree. She landed beside Mercury and kicked her sharply in the stomach. The ice senshi fell to her knees with a grunt.

"Super Nova!" Sailor Stellanova shouted as she tossed the glowing balls at Janus.

One or two of them struck Janus, but the turquoise eyed senshi didn't seem to be injured. Instead, she made her way over to Stellanova with lightning speed and grabbed the girl by the arm. She smiled wickedly as her other hand began to glow.

"This won't hurt a bit," Janus told her.

A green ivy chain whipped out of the forest and struck Janus' hand. She withdrew it in pain and released Stellanova, who ran to Mercury's side. Holding her injured hand, Janus scanned the trees.

"I know you're out there, Minos," Janus called.

The tall senshi with the black hair appeared between Janus and the other senshi. She held her axe in one hand and stared at her opponent. Janus smiled and clapped her hands happily, like an excited child.

"I have another power for you," Janus told her.

Minos chuckled. "It doesn't matter to me which poor soul you last killed, Janus. I'm going to stop you from taking two more."

"That's what you think," Janus spat. She held her hands over her head as Usagi and Sailor Jupiter made their way to the fight. Usagi stared with wide eyes.

"Deep Submerge!" Janus called.

"No!" Usagi sobbed, falling to her knees. "Not Michiru too…"

Minos held up her axe to block the attack and grunted as it struck her talisman. Still, she forced it back and charged at Janus, her axe swinging. Janus dodged each blow until she finally settled in a tree and shook her head at her enemy.

"Clumsy," Janus scolded. "You left your little ones unprotected."

Minos' eyes widened and she turned as Janus leapt over her and landed in front of Mercury and Stellanova. There was nothing she could do as Janus advanced.

"Jupiter Oak Revolution!"

Janus grunted as the attack caught her unprepared and tossed her aside. Minos rushed forward but Janus was on her feet again before she could reach Mercury and Stellanova.

"Minos Goddess Explosion!" Minos called.

Janus was tossed aside again, putting more distance between herself and her victims. Jupiter stepped into the clearing and stood over Janus, her hands balled into fists. Minos halted between Janus and the other senshi.

"Out of the way," Jupiter exclaimed.

"If you value your life," Minos said over her shoulder, "you will take your friends and leave."

Janus rose to her feet again and laughed. "Listen to her, girls. She knows who she's dealing with."

In her hand was a small clay jar. She carefully lifted the lid. "All Evils Release!"

As the vile fog escaped from its clay prison, Minos pushed Jupiter aside and took the attack full force herself. It dropped her to her knees, and her talisman slid from her fingers as the black mist stole her energy. Janus squealed with delight as Jupiter rose to her feet again.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Sailor Mercury called.

Janus spun around and absorbed the attack into her clay jar. Mercury gasped and Minos raised a weary head.

"Don't attack!" she gasped. "Run!"

"Not without you," Stellanova exclaimed. "Super Nova!'

Once again, the explosion was absorbed into Janus' clay jar. The turquoise eyed senshi smiled at them in delight and waited for them to try again. She was surprised when another attack came from behind, and one that she could not easily absorb.

Sailor Jupiter came at her, fists flying, and managed to land a few lucky shots before Janus recovered enough to dodge. She caught one of Jupiter's punches with one hand and twisted her wrist sharply until it cracked. Jupiter's eyes betrayed her pain, but she made no sound.

"Mako-chan," Usagi whispered from where she hid. "I've got to help."

As the fight continued, Usagi ran off to a safe location to transform. She wasn't sure what she could do to help defeat Janus, but her friends were in trouble and she had to help them.

Janus surveyed the injured and weakened senshi around her and took a deep breath. She turned back to Stellanova and Mercury and smiled pleasantly. Clapping her hands together, she took a step towards them.

"Now, girls. Where were we?" Janus asked sweetly. "Oh yes. You were about to give me your powers."

"We won't surrender," Mercury said.

Janus shook her head. "You're supposed to be the smart one, Ami. Don't you know when you've been beaten?"

"As long as we can stand, we'll stand against you," a new voice spoke up.

All eyes turned to see Eternal Sailor Moon enter the clearing where they fought. Minos groaned weakly as she realized she had yet another life to save. Sailor Jupiter misinterpreted the sound and crouched next to her.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

Her wrist was purple and swollen, and her eyes full of hidden pain. Minos admired her spirit.

"Please," Minos said softly. "Get your friends out of here. I can't save you all."

Jupiter grinned. "You can't save yourself in that condition. Don't worry. Sailor Moon will be just fine."

Janus was standing with her hands on her hips, looking at Sailor Moon up and down with a broad grin on her face. She was almost licking her lips as she realized how much power this one senshi held.

"One, two, three, four, five against one?" Janus counted. "Hardly seems fair. Let me even the score."

She leapt at Sailor Stellanova, who was taken completely by surprise. Swearing, Minos forced herself to her feet and tackled Janus, knocking the wicked senshi down. Stellanova rolled free and rose shakily to her feet as Minos and Janus slid to a stop.

"Well, you'll do just as well," Janus snarled.

"You'll find me a poor substitute," Minos replied. "Minos Goddess Explosion!"

Janus' eyes widened in surprise as a large explosion pushed her further away from the assembled senshi. It had the same effect on the weakened Minos, who was tossed into the air and slammed into a tree. The senshi regrouped around Minos, but were surprised to see that Janus had disappeared. Jupiter took a few steps into the clearing where Janus had been thrown, but the evil senshi was nowhere to be found.

"She's gone," Sailor Jupiter said.

"Jupiter! Let me see your hand," Mercury said.

The taller senshi gingerly extended her swollen wrist for her friend to see. Sailor Moon and Sailor Stellanova knelt next to the unconscious Minos and gently tried to shake her awake.

"That's twice she's saved us," Stellanova remarked. "Maybe we should be more careful."

"What else can we do? Lock ourselves in our homes?" Jupiter retorted angrily.

Minos blinked her eyes and stared up at Sailor Moon. She forced herself to stand, leaning against the tree for support. The other senshi stared at her.

"You should have run when you had the chance," Minos chided. "Don't think that numbers alone can stop Janus."

"But what does she want?" Mercury asked.

"All of us," Minos sighed. "A world free of senshi."

Sailor Moon decided that they should meet the next day, and Minos, against her better judgment, agreed to join. After school, Usagi and her friends waited in the forest behind Rei's shrine. Usagi was sitting under a tree with Étoile and Rei beside her and Luna on her lap. Minako and Ami were sitting on the grass close by, and Makoto was leaning against the wall, her hand bandaged. Artemis was prowling around restlessly. They had been waiting for quite some time for the girl who was Sailor Minos to appear.

"Are you sure she's coming?" Minako asked.

"This was the place we agreed on," Usagi assured her.

"I still think this is a bad idea," Artemis spoke up. "How do we know Minos and Janus aren't working together?"

"She saved us twice," Ami said.

"Maybe only to lure you into a sense of confidence?" the white cat retorted.

"Don't be foolish, Artemis," Luna snapped. "It sounds like we'll need all the allies we can get against this enemy."

The bushes rustled and all six girls and two cats raised their heads. Rei rose to her feet, and Makoto clenched her good hand into a fist. The bushes moved again, and this time a girl stepped out wearing dirty overalls and a plaid shirt. Her eyes passed over the faces of all those assembled and she smiled.

"I knew there was something about you guys," she said.

"Calliste!" Usagi exclaimed, leaping to her feet and displacing Luna.

"You are Sailor Minos?" Étoile asked.

The woodworker nodded. "I have been since I was a child, and I've been fighting Janus for almost as long."

The group resettled and Calliste sat on the grass so they were all in a circle. Luna and Artemis were introduced, and Calliste guessed each of the girls' secret identities. She also told them about how she had become Sailor Minos, and the murder of her parents.

"But what can you tell us about Sailor Janus?" Luna said.

Calliste's expression turned serious. "I meant what I said before. You all should avoid her at any cost. She's too dangerous."

"Then how do you keep winning?" Rei asked.

Calliste shook her head. "Luck, I guess. There's something about Janus … we almost seem to attract one another. She's always around where I am, and I'm always there when she's stirring up trouble."

Ami's eyes widened. "Could she be here now?"

"I don't think so. The only one who knows where I am is Mikko, and she's still at the store. If I sense her, believe me, I'll let you know."

Luna was pacing in front of Calliste as if she were a lawyer at a trial. The whole time, her large yellow eyes were staring directly at Calliste, trying to read her soul. Finally the black cat sat down but continued to watch the new girl.

"I don't remember you from the Silver Millennium," Luna admitted.

"Neither do I," Artemis agreed.

Calliste shook her head. "I don't know what the Silver Millennium is."

The girls and cats proceeded to explain everything to Calliste, from the destruction of the Moon Kingdom to the defeat of Galaxia, as they had done with Étoile earlier. The woodworker listened with great attention, interrupting occasionally to clarify details. When the story was complete, she nodded as her mind digested the information.

"I don't think I was ever a part of the Moon Kingdom," Calliste said. "I got my powers from the Earth Goddess at Knossos when I was a child. She told me to guard my secret well, and you're the only people I've ever told."

"Janus doesn't know who you are?" Minako asked.

"Nope, and I don't know who she is. All I know is that she kills senshi. It's her mission, and she won't rest until they're all dead. I thought I was the only thing that stood in her way, the last of my kind, but now that I know you're here, you're all in grave danger."

"She must have a weakness," Ami said.

"Not that I know. She's a bit of a show off, and she's mad for power. Like I said, I win because of luck. She makes a careless mistake and I don't die. Maybe my powers are stronger, but I know her very well. I don't want to brag, but when I'm gone, she may become unstoppable."

"We've faced worse," Mako spoke up.

"But have they wanted nothing more than to see you dead? To absorb your spirit into themselves and use your powers against your friends? Janus isn't a normal enemy, Makoto. She's deadly."

Usagi had been sitting quietly, listening to Calliste. All she could think of was Janus using the attacks she stole from Uranus and Neptune – Haruka and Michiru who were now dead. She felt the tears forming in her eyes and she turned her head from her friends so they wouldn't see her sobbing.

Janus sat cross-legged on a box in the corner of the building, tossing a ball up and down. She hummed softly to herself as the ball rose and fell, over and over. In front of her, a very obese man lounged on a bed of pillows, the remains of his last meal scattered around him. The sound of his breathing filled the room as he watched Janus' ball going up and down. He cleared his throat noisily and tried to sit more upright. From the shadows, a servant quickly ran forward to help him maneuver his massive bulk. Janus waited, with an expression of innocence on her face, for him to speak.

"Your disappoint me," the man wheezed. "Only two senshi in the past month. Far below your usual quota."

"They were powerful, at least," Janus objected, pouting slightly.

"But there are at least six more out there!"

Janus cringed like a struck child as the man roared at her. The ball fell to the ground and rolled away, forgotten. The large man sighed noisily.

"Try harder," he told her more gently.

"But _she_'s always there," Janus hissed angrily. "No matter where I go, she always stops me."

The man shrugged. "So, kill her."

Janus pretended to be outraged. "I can't! What fun would hunting senshi be without her?"

"Don't concern yourself with fun. Just do your job."

Janus hopped to her feet and saluted. "Aye, aye, Boss."

Spinning around with military precision, Janus marched out of the room, chanting "hup two, three, four" under her breath as she walked. The Boss shook his head. Reaching down, he grabbed a chicken leg and began to eat.

"I know you're there," he said through a mouthful of food. "I may be fat, but I'm not blind. Get out here."

"You're going to lose her," a voice said matter-of-factly from the shadow of the opposite corner.

"I've had her since birth," the Boss objected. "I'm like her father. She'll obey."

The figure stepped clear. He was a tall man, nicely dressed with brown hair and black eyes. He wore gloves on his hands, which he tugged at as he moved into the dim light. Smiling slightly, he gave the large man a mock-bow. The Boss chuckled and threw the chicken bone at him. The man casually stepped aside to avoid it.

"I don't trust her," the man said.

The Boss erupted into a full laugh. "Neither do I, Shade. And I don't trust you, but she's killed more senshi than you have. She lives for the hunt."

Shade frowned disapprovingly. The Boss rolled his small, beady eyes.

"Fine. Watch her if you must, but she's just as likely to attack you as a senshi," the Boss replied.

Shade bowed again and disappeared from the room.

"Calli!" Mikko called as she entered the apartment. "Calli, where are you?"

It was early in the evening, and although Calliste had mentioned meeting friends earlier that morning, Mikko had expected her back by now. Slowly, she checked every room, calling for her friend. The whole place was empty, exactly as she had left it that afternoon. Mikko sighed and went down to the store, hoping her business partner was at least keeping the store open.

She found Calliste in her workshop, tinkering with one of her machines. Mikko leaned against the doorframe that separated the workshop from the store and watched her friend at work. Calliste was lying on her back, half hidden beneath the large machine. A small pool of oil was forming on the floor near her elbow. Mikko cleared her throat.

There was a thud from beneath the machine, followed by a muted curse as Calliste rolled herself out from beneath the device. She was filthy, her face smeared with grease and sawdust, but she smiled brightly when she saw Mikko standing there.

"Mikko! Where have you been all day?" Calliste asked, sitting up and wiping her hands on a dirty rag.

"Out," Mikko replied vaguely. "How did we do today?"

Calliste blushed and glanced down at her hands. Mikko watched her for a moment before rolling her eyes in disbelief. She sat down on one of the wooden chairs Calliste had just finished and shook her head.

"You didn't open the store today, did you?" Mikko asked.

"It was open a bit this morning," Calliste said in her defense. "And it's open now."

"We're busiest in the afternoon. You know that."

"I had business to attend to this afternoon. Besides, I deserve some time off too, you know."

Mikko smiled and nodded. "Of course you do. I'm sorry, but you know how I get around money."

Calliste grinned. "I swear Dickens was thinking of you when he wrote about Scrooge."

"Hey! That's a little harsh, don't you think?"  
Calliste giggled, but was interrupted by the sound of a bell. Mikko perked up as well. The bell only sounded when the outside door was opened. A customer had just entered the store. Motioning for Calliste to be silent, Mikko went out to the front. Calli grinned and returned to her work under the machine.

"Can I help you?" Mikko asked smoothly.

The man who had entered the store smiled at her. He had short brown hair, black eyes, and wore black gloves on his hands. Mikko's smile faded as she realized who the man was.

"You're not welcome here," she said sternly. "Leave now."

"Come come, sister," the man chided. "Is that any way to speak to a customer? I could help your backwater friend find her niche in the big leagues."

"Leave Calliste out of this," Mikko warned. "This has nothing to do with her."

The man's eyebrow raised. "Hit a nerve, have I? Well, let me just tell you that I've been told to keep an eye on you. Don't be so surprised next time I show up."  
"Make sure you show up when you're needed, and I won't kill you," Mikko said softly.

The man stared at her for a long moment. "I much prefer you in this form, sister. You're a lot less cheeky. Good night."

As he left, Calliste came out of the back room, wiping her hands. "Who was that? Did he buy anything?"

Mikko shook her head, staring at the door. "Just a lost traveler. I don't think we'll see him again."


	3. Dangerous Times

Chapter Three

Dangerous Times

Ami walked home alone. She had been with the others at Rei's shrine, discussing Sailor Janus and Sailor Minos and what to do about the senshi that wanted them all dead. Usagi was naturally very worried, in spite of the reassurances from the others. Minako and Makoto had decided to walk her home. Ami had declined the invitation to join them. She had a lot on her mind, and appreciated the walk home alone to digest everything that had happened to them recently.

She was certain Janus had a weakness, something that would take her down next time they fought. Ami had noticed that the more energy the wicked senshi used, the weaker she became. She dismissed that idea with a shake of her head. There was no way of knowing how much energy she had, or if she and her friends could withstand her attacks until she weakened. Ami sighed. There had to be some way to stop Janus before she killed again.

A figure leapt from the treetops to land in front of her. Ami gasped in surprise and took a few steps back. The figure before her straightened to its full height and stared down at her.

"Good evening, Ami," Sailor Janus said. "A bit late for a walk, don't you think?"

Ami's eyes narrowed as she gripped her transformation wand. Janus crossed her arms over her chest.

"Transform. You're no good to me without your powers," she ordered.

Ami hesitated. If she wasn't a senshi, Janus couldn't take her powers. Slowly, Ami lowered her wand, her eyes never leaving Janus'. The other senshi raised an eyebrow.

"Going to be brave?" Janus asked. "Suit yourself. It will be a lot more painful for you this way."

Janus attacked, fists flying. Ami cried out, trying to defend herself as best she could, but it was no use. A punch to the chin sent her into the air, and she landed painfully on the cement sidewalk. Janus kicked her in the stomach as she lay there.

"Get up, Ami. You can't possibly be done yet."

Ami struggled to her feet, blood dripping from her lip. She glared defiantly at Janus, refusing to surrender. The evil senshi nodded at her appraisingly.

"You've got more guts than I thought," Janus admitted. "But you've also got less brains than I thought. I'm through playing with you. Powers or not, you won't live to see the sunrise."

Janus raised one hand above her head. "World Shaking!"

Ami stared in horror as the attack sailed towards her. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind as she realized she was about to die. Closing her eyes, she prepared herself for the end. Surprisingly, it never came. She opened her eyes again to find Sailor Minos standing in front of her with her talisman.

"What are you doing?" Minos hissed. "Transform!"

"That's what she wants!" Ami objected.

"Die as you are, or as a senshi. Either way, you're dead. Go down fighting!"

Janus was throwing a small fit, stomping the ground and pounding the air with her fists. She stared at Minos with daggers in her eyes.

"Stop ruining my fun!" Janus yelled.

"Minos Sacred Axe!" Sailor Minos swung her talisman, throwing arcs of energy at her enemy.

Janus just barely dodged them. Grinning wickedly, she slid to a halt as Minos' attack subsided. Not wanting to allow her any opportunity to strike, Minos charged her enemy head on, hoping to give Ami enough time to escape. As she and Janus exchanged blows, Minos realized belatedly that she should have ordered Ami to run and not given her the option of transforming. Grimacing, she hoped the ice senshi would make the right decision and flee.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

Minos dropped to the ground, sighing inwardly, as the attack sailed over her head. It hit Janus directly, and she was completely unprepared for the assault. She took a few reeling steps backwards and fixed her hard, turquoise eyes on Mercury. Minos rolled to one side and stood, waiting for Janus to make her next move. The wicked senshi was completely ignoring Minos, focusing her hatred entirely at Mercury.

"For being the smart one," Janus commented flippantly, "you're really not that bright."

She held both her hands above her head, smiling almost pleasantly at her victim. A ball of flames ignited in her palms and steadily began to grow, fueled by her increasing hatred of the senshi. Minos tried to call out a warning, but she was too late.

"Aegyptus Sun Disc!" Janus called, tossing the flaming ball at Mercury.

The ball continued to grow, and Mercury did her best to avoid the attack. As the flames engulfed her, she tossed herself to one side, but not far enough. Minos stared in shocked disbelief as the blue-haired girl was consumed by the flames of Janus' hatred. The attack soon died down, leaving a badly charred and unconscious Mercury lying on the ground. Minos hesitated for only a split second before placing herself between the girl and her assailant. She held her axe at the ready and stared defiantly at Janus.

"You're not getting this one," Minos said.

"Getting a bit protective of your little ones, aren't you?" Janus asked. "That's so unlike you, Minos, and we both know it."

"Just keeping you from getting stronger."

Janus laughed. "But the power is so delicious! If only you knew! But I can be reasonable. Surrender your powers to me and I'll leave the little ones alone."

Now it was Minos who laughed. "Get real. That will never happen."

Janus shrugged. "Suit yourself."

She punched Minos hard across the face, knocking her down and to the side. With the path to Mercury cleared, a slow smile spread across Janus' face. She knelt before Mercury and her hands began to glow in anticipation.

"No!" Minos gasped, rising to her feet.

A fiery arrow struck Janus in the back, exploding and causing her to cry out in pain. Spinning around, Janus saw Sailor Mars crouched on one knee behind her, another arrow already in her bow and ready to fly.

"You're too late," Janus laughed.

She turned again to find Minos standing once again over Mercury. With a sidelong grin, Minos punched Janus in the jaw. She staggered back a few steps, rubbing her face with one gloved hand. She stared in rage at Minos, daggers in her eyes, and prepared to fight back. Mars cleared her throat behind the enemy senshi, and Janus' eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Next time," she promised as she disappeared.

Mars hurried past Minos to crouch next to Mercury, checking her friend over carefully. Minos stood where she was, her hands clenched tightly into fists and her head spinning in exhaustion. Slowly, she stared to walk away.

"Wait," Mars called. "Could you help me with Mercury?"

"I've done all I can," Minos replied without turning. "You'll be fine."

"At least come to the shrine for some ice," Mars pleaded. "You're going to get a nasty bruise from that punch."

"I'm okay."

"Don't be so stubborn. You're one of us, and we look out for each other."

"Which is precisely what got you into this dangerous game in the first place," Minos countered, turning around quickly. The motion made her vision swim momentarily, but she ignored the sensation. "Thank you for your help, but stay out of this battle!"

"We can't!" Mars objected, holding Mercury upright by tucking her head under Mercury's arm. "Like it or not, we're all involved. Janus knows we exist, she knows who we are!"

"And you all will die. I can't prevent that! Not by myself!"

"You're not by yourself," Mars reminded her. "Not anymore. Can't you see that? We all want to help but we don't know how."

"Neither do I!" Minos snapped. She took a deep breath to calm herself. She could feel her cheek beginning to swell where Janus had struck her.

Mars moved to stand next to Minos and smiled. "Let's talk about it, then. You know Janus better than any of us. Together, I'm sure we can fine a weakness."

Minos returned the grin and moved to Mars' other side, putting Mercury's other arm around her shoulders to help support the girl's weight.

"First, we'd better make sure Mercury is okay," Minos said.

Janus reappeared much later on top of a building downtown. She had been so close, she had almost tasted the fallen senshi's powers. Her heart had been pounding, her body prepared to accept the burden of another soul. She raised a finger and gingerly touched her jaw where Minos had struck her. It was still very sore. Another score to settle with that meddling senshi, sooner or later. Sitting on the rooftop, she watched the traffic moving below her. She knew she couldn't go back to the Boss, not with Shade there to rub in her failure. She didn't want to face them yet, not without a victory to prove her worth.

Suddenly, something below her caught her eye. A lone figure, disappearing down a side street. The figure's black pigtails made her easily recognizable, even without Janus' spectacular eyesight. Smiling, Janus stood, knowing her day was about to get significantly better.

Étoile moved quickly, trying to get home before the sun completely set. Her mother had expected her home earlier, but she had been too involved with the other senshi to noticed the passing of time. While Makoto and Minako walked Usagi home, Étoile also made her goodbyes and headed downtown. She hated for her mother to worry. Turning abruptly, she decided to take a short cut between two buildings to get to her street on the other side.

"Where are you going, little star?" a sinister voice asked. "It's too bright out for you to be shining."

Étoile turned sharply , her eyes narrowing as she saw Janus sitting on a pile of old boxes behind her. The evil senshi smiled and beckoned for the girl to come forward. Étoile took in the situation in a moment, spun around on her heel, and ran in the opposite direction of where Janus sat. Cursing, Janus leapt from her seat and took off after her prey.

Clearing the alley, Étoile found herself in a vacant lot across the street from Calliste's woodworking shop. Hoping desperately that Calliste was home, Étoile prepared to dash across the road and pound on the door. Janus caught up to her before she had a chance to take a step. Standing in front of Étoile, Janus wagged a finger at her and clucked her tongue in disapproval.

"Now, now," Janus chided. "Why did you run? You know I'm going to kill you no matter where you hide!"

"I prefer to stay alive, merci," Étoile replied, holding up her transformation wand. "Stellanova Power, Make-Up!"

"I love it when they try to fight," Janus said excitedly. "En garde!"

Stellanova assumed a defensive stance, waiting for her opponent to make the first move. Janus circled her warily, a disarming grin on her face. Stellanova began to feel like a mouse being pursued by a cunning cat, and the thought both startled and alarmed her.

"Star light, Star bright!" Stellanova called,

The attack exploded by Janus' feet, momentarily blinding the girl. Janus' hands moved quickly to cover her eyes, and she snarled angrily as she tried to regain her vision. Stellanova took the opportunity to attack again.

"Stellar Shower!" she called, pointing up at the sky.

Janus blinked a few more time and raised her head to follow her opponent's gaze. Her eyes widened in surprise as thousands of tiny shooting stars began to fall from the heavens. Shielding her head with her hands, she tried to avoid the rocks as best they could. Many of them burned her skin and clothes before she threw a random punch at Stellanova, knocking her down and stopping the assault.

Straightening herself to her full height, she patted the parts of her uniform that continued to smolder and glared at the small senshi. Janus shook her head almost sympathetically.

"You're going to wish you didn't do that," Janus threatened.

Staring up at the enraged senshi, Stellanova had a feeling that, for once, her enemy spoke the truth.

Calliste stared out the window of the bus as it slowly made its way downtown. She had stayed for a few short hours with Rei and Ami, long enough to make sure the blue senshi was okay. During that time, she had tended to her own wounds, and watched as Rei took care of her friend. As the streets rolled past, Calliste thought back to the conversation she and Rei had exchanged.

_"She'll be fine," Rei said, gazing gently at Ami who was sleeping in her bed._

_ "She should have run," Calliste grunted, holding a bag of ice to her own slightly swollen cheek. She felt exhausted, more tired than she had in a long time, and she began to wonder if she was getting too old for senshi business._

_ "Maybe," Rei replied, sitting across from her, "or maybe she should have fought harder, or maybe she shouldn't have transformed at all."_

_ "Doesn't matter," Calliste shook her head and winced. "Janus would have killed her easily and taken the powers from her corpse."_

_ Rei sighed. "She tried her best."_

_ "And almost died. She was lucky I was there."_

_ "And who made you invincible?" Rei exclaimed angrily. "Why do you think you're the only one Janus can't touch?"_

_ "I'm not invincible, and I'm not afraid of death. No one has been able to face Janus alone and survive, except me."_

_ "Maybe so, but there are other senshi now. A lot of us. We should stick together."_

_ "It won't work. Janus will eventually kill us all. I'm prepared for death by her hands. Are you?"_

_ Rei rose to her feet, the anger evident in her eyes. "Eventually we will all die, and I don't fear it either. But, between now and eventually, we can fight together and maybe we'll get lucky and stop her."_

_ Calliste rose as well. "Luck is all we have. Don't go looking for a fight."_

_ "And you don't go looking for death."_

Calliste paused on her way to the door, taken aback by Rei's final words. Without a backwards glance, she left the fire senshi's room and headed home.

Calliste sighed. She hated to be so hard on the younger senshi, but they had no idea what they were facing. She had heard their story, how they had saved the world numerous times and had been reborn to fight again. She thought they understood that death by Janus' hand meant no rebirth could happen. Their senshi souls would be trapped inside her forever, forced to do unspeakable harm and damage to the world they were sworn to protect. That was why Calliste had to stop Janus. That was why no more senshi could risk death. That was why she had to be alone.

The bus stopped a block from her apartment, and Calliste disembarked, thanking the driver politely as she left. The bus pulled away from the curb and Calliste turned towards home. Suddenly, she sensed Janus close by. Very close. She turned around full circle, wildly trying to pinpoint where the sensation was coming from.

"Calm down," she told herself. "You'll be no good to help if you panic."

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. She was aware of the other people on the street, watching her as they passed, but she ignored them. Concentrating, she found Janus a few blocks down the street. Smiling to herself, she opened her eyes and took off at a run towards her nemesis.

Sailor Stellanova was doing her best to stay a step ahead of Janus. She knew no help was coming, that she was completely alone to live or die by Janus' hand. The wicked senshi knew this as well, and was toying with her to prolong her suffering.

"Aegyptus Sun Disc!" Janus exclaimed, tossing a fire ball at Stellanova.

The attack struck the already weakened senshi, tossing her aside like a rag doll. Rolling to a stop, she managed to struggle to her feet.

"Super Nova!" she called, throwing several glowing orbs at Janus

The balls exploded, but were not as strong as they had been when the long fight began. Janus covered her face and waited for the bright light to subside before renewing her assault. When she looked back to where Stellanova had been, she found the girl missing.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," Janus called.

She fingered her small clay pot, stolen from Sailor Pandora quite some time ago, and waited for a sign that Stellanova was close by.

The weakened senshi was trying to calm her beating heart as she hid behind some crates. She hurt all over and wanted nothing more than to end this battle and go home to her mother and brother. The thought of them brought her some unknown strength and she silently amassed her powers for a final assault.

"Super Nova!" Stellanova exclaimed, popping out from her hiding place when Janus was close by.

The other senshi was surprised and barely had time to raise her hands in protection as the white ball exploded. She was thrown back quite some distance, landing against a brick wall and sliding to the ground. She lay stunned for a moment as Stellanova took a few limping paces towards her. Janus raised her head in time to see Stellanova fall to the ground, utterly exhausted.

"That… was… foolish," Janus gasped, struggling to her feet.

She made her way to where the girl lay and rolled her over onto her back. Stellanova fought, but Janus quickly pinned her hands above her head and smiled pleasantly at her. Her hands were starting to glow.

"I'll make it painless, since you put up such a good fight, little star," Janus promised.

Stellanova looked up into her death, and her death stared back at her with turquoise eyes.

Calliste ran until she thought her lungs would explode. She was still in quite a lot of pain from that afternoon's battle with Janus, and she hoped she had enough energy in her to frighten Janus off a second time that day. She rudely pushed past people as she ran, stammering apologies and dodging traffic and oncoming cars. She did not want to be too late to save whatever senshi Janus had cornered. She prayed she would not be too late.

Several explosions reverberated through the streets, oblivious to everyone except Calliste. She had been following them for some time, and as they grew stronger she knew she was getting closer. She felt her pendant burning in her shirt, the power eager to be released, but she would wait until she could see her adversary before transforming.

She rounded a corner and found herself standing in front of her own shop. Across the street, her eyes widened in horror as she saw the result of the battle she had missed. Janus stood overtop of a fallen senshi, her hands glowing with power.

"No," Calliste whispered, taking a staggering step forward.

Janus said something to her victim and raised her right hand into the air.

"No," Calliste said a bit louder.

The black haired senshi plunged her glowing hand into the defeated senshi's chest, and the girl screamed in pain. Jerking her hand back, Janus held a pulsing energy which she quickly thrust into her own chest. Lurching to her feet, Janus tottered back and forth, drunk on the power she had just consumed. Calliste saw her laugh to herself and disappear, leaving the body of her defeated foe on the cold ground.

Calliste's eyes locked onto the small body as she ran across the road to reach her, ignoring the honking of traffic as she moved. The senshi was already starting to disappear as she reached her, and Calliste could see it was Sailor Stellanova. Cradling her in her arms, she allowed the tears to flow freely. She knew Janus killed senshi, absorbing their powers and making them hers, but she had never seen it happen. She had never heard the final death cry of the fallen warrior, or seen Janus stumble away, intoxicated with power. She had never held a body as it vanished into dust.

"NO!" Calliste yelled at the sky as Sailor Stellanova, the young girl Étoile, evaporated into the air.


	4. We All Fall Down

Chapter Four

We All Fall Down

Usagi waited patiently for Étoile, keeping a watchful eye for anyone who might want to harm her. They had been meeting at this point for weeks, since Sailor Janus had first attacked her. So far, other than the incident at school, Janus had not shown up. Usagi was beginning to feel confident that their plan was working, and that Minos was wrong. Numbers would keep Janus at bay, she was sure of it. By combining their powers, they would defeat Janus just as they had defeated all the others who threatened peace on Earth. She wished, not for the first time, that Mamoru was fighting beside her. She missed his quiet strength, and her heart ached that he had to be so far away. The letters from America kept coming, however, so she tried her best not to be sad. At least she knew he was alive and well.

She had not received a single letter from Michiru, and the news the other night had told them that all her concert dates had been mysteriously canceled. No one knew why the famous violinist had decided to change her schedule and refund the money from ticket sales. No one, except Usagi and the other senshi. Minos had been right in this, it seemed. Haruka and Michiru were gone.

She heard footsteps coming towards her, which caused her to raise her head cheerfully. She expected to see Étoile, smiling face as the girl swung her bag and skipped down the road. Instead she saw the long black hair of Calliste, and her face was far from smiling.

"Good morning, Calliste-san," Usagi said politely. "How are you?"

The older woman stopped in front of Usagi, and the odango haired girl could see the torment and sadness in her eyes. Glancing around, Calliste took Usagi by the arm and led her down a deserted side street.

"Wait! I have to wait for Étoile!" Usagi objected.

"Étoile isn't coming," Calliste said huskily. It was the first time Usagi had heard her speak with such emotion.

"Why not? Is she sick?"

"She's dead."

Usagi's eyes widened in shock, and she felt her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach. Calliste turned away to be spared that look, and felt her own sorrow renewing.

"Last night," Calliste continued before Usagi could speak. "Janus cornered her. She fought bravely, but I was too late. I couldn't save her."

Usagi noticed a tear fall from the other woman's cheek.

"She knows who Ami is, and nearly killed her too, but the rest of you must say hidden," Calliste insisted. "Ami should go away for a while, until I can defeat Janus for good."

"We're staying to fight," Usagi objected. "So is Ami-chan."

The look Calliste gave her was of disbelief, sadness, and helplessness. Usagi wanted to hug the girl, give her a shoulder to cry on, and maybe even take away some of her burden, but she knew Minos would not permit it.

"Even after losing Étoile, you still don't understand?" Calliste asked.

"We can work together," Usagi said weakly.

"And you will die together," Calliste yelled, her frustration and grief turning to anger. "I can't save you all!"

Turning on her heel, Calliste left Usagi alone in the street. Usagi watched her go, consumed with her own sadness at Étoile's death but also full of concern for Calliste.

Janus pirouetted around the room, randomly firing Stellanova's stolen attacks at the walls and ceiling. She felt invincible, as she often did after consuming someone's powers. She wanted to fight someone, to challenge them to take away her invincibility. She still could not completely control her new abilities, but they were hers at last!

"Well done," the Boss said from his cushions.

"Thank you," Janus replied, dropping into a curtsey.

The Boss half smiled. "That brings your most recent total up to three. Shade, how many senshi have you brought me?"

Janus smiled childishly at the sullen figure standing in the shadows. "Yeah, Shade. Who need watching now?"

Shade said nothing but vanished into the darkness. Janus laughed as he left and began to dance again.

Mikko gently opened the door to Calliste's workshop and peered inside. It was nearly midnight, and she had not seen her friend and business partner since breakfast. Calliste had been very quiet, lost in her own thoughts, and Mikko had decided it would be best to leave her alone for a while to let her work through whatever was bothering her.

Calliste was in the back of her shop, frantically working on something. Mikko took a few hesitant steps towards her and opened her mouth to speak, but Calliste didn't turn to acknowledge her presence. She kept working, completely absorbed in her task. Mikko knew her friend well enough to know that whenever she was that engrossed in her work, she was doing some serious thinking, so she closed her mouth and quietly left the workshop.

Calliste paused to once again wipe the tears that were forming in her eyes. She held in her hand a simple doll, with short pig-tailed hair and large bright eyes. The doll was smiling cheerfully and wore a sailor fuku. Although it was not yet painted, Calliste envisioned it with specific colours – black hair, purple eyes, and a yellow and red uniform. It was her tribute to the one she could not save. Bending over the doll, Calliste tried to fashion her work in the image of Sailor Stellanova, and hoped the spirit of the girl could forgive her.

Mikko was still awake when Calliste finally came up to the apartment. The black haired carpenter was exhausted and fell on the couch beside her friend. Mikko wisely chose not to say anything about the sawdust trail she brought in, but instead put a comforting arm around her friend. Calliste rested her head on Mikko's shoulder and took a deep calming breath.

"What's wrong?" Mikko asked. "Thinking about your parents again?"

Calliste shook her head. "I just got news today that someone I knew died."

"A friend from the orphanage?"

"Yes. A young friend. I keep thinking that if I had been there, I could have helped her."

"You can't be everywhere," Mikko reminded her. "You can only do so much."

"I should be able to do more. She needed me, and I wasn't there."

"There are people here who need you, too. You're here for them."

Ami's face flashed into Calliste's mind. "I suppose."

"Was your friend's death an accident? Or did she suspect it was coming?"

"She knew."

"Then what could you have done? You're not invincible, Calli. You're a single person. Your friend knew that, I know that. You're the only one who needs convincing."

Calliste sat up and nodded. "You're right, Mikko. I'm a single person, and I can only do what I can do."

Mikko smiled. "That's the spirit. Now, go to bed. You look terrible."

Impulsively, Calliste threw her arms around Mikko and hugged her tightly. "Good night. I'm so lucky to have a friend like you."

Mikko hugged her back. "You're crazy from lack of sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

Calliste headed to her room, but knew that sleep would be far from coming. A line had to be drawn, to protect Sailor Moon and the others, and Sailor Minos was the only senshi who could draw it.

Calliste was waiting at the Shrine the next morning, sitting on the steps, knowing that before long, the other senshi would come by. It was a Saturday morning, and the sun was bright in the sky. Mikko was watching the shop, and in the small bag next to Calliste was the doll of Sailor Stellanova.

It wasn't long before Makoto and Minako came by, talking animatedly together. Calliste stood, and the movement caught Minako's eye. She slowed to a stop, causing Mako to do the same, and met Calliste's gaze.

"We heard about Étoile," Minako said. "We're sorry."

The pang of sadness hit Calliste again, but it was not as sharp. She had a new purpose, a way to avenge the young senshi's death. She forced a smile.

"I would like to speak with you, if I could," she said. "All of you."

"We're meeting at Crown's," Mako replied. "Come with us."

Calliste bowed by way of thanks and followed the two girls downtown. The weight of the doll was comforting as she and the girls talked about trivial things. Calliste observed the two senshi as they walked. Makoto, the tall and strong senshi of Jupiter, was far more graceful and kindly in her mortal form. Minako, the vivacious senshi of Venus, seemed a lot less serious and much more playful without the senshi fuku. Calliste wondered what they thought of her, and if they could have been friends had the situation been different. They must resent her for working alone. They might even hate her.

The glass doors for Crown's slid open and the three girls walked in. Usagi, Rei, and Ami were already seated in their usual spot and had already ordered their drinks. They greeted Mako and Minako brightly and then all eyes turned to Calliste. Ami smiled, and Usagi's grin seemed a bit strained, but Rei stared at her in open defiance with her purple eyes. Calliste asked if she could join them, and Ami slid over to make some room.

"I have something to discuss with you," Calliste said, glancing around. "Is it safe here?"

The five senshi nodded. "Just watch out for Unazuki. She sometimes hangs around," Ami said.

"Here are your drinks," Unazuki said, suddenly appearing, "and I resent that comment. I don't hang around, I'm working!"

The redheaded waitress stalked off in a huff, causing Ami to blush in embarrassment. Her friends laughed as they claimed their sodas and dug in, Rei having already ordered the usual drinks for Mako and Minako. Calliste even found herself smiling, which made what she had to do that much more difficult.

"I figured out what to do about Janus," she said, "but I need your support."

"Of course!" Usagi exclaimed. "We'll do whatever we can to help you!"

Calliste's smile thinned. "I'm going to challenge her to a duel. We'll fight to the death, the two of us."

"No!" Rei objected, to Calliste's surprise. "It's too dangerous."

"But it's the only way. You five will stay hidden, watching the battle. If I die, strike her immediately before she has time to recover her strength. She's at her most vulnerable right after she's killed. You may stand a chance if you don't hesitate. If I win, then our problems are over."

"That's a foolish plan," Mako told her.

"I agree with Mako-chan," Ami said in her soft voice. "There is no guarantee that this will defeat Janus, one way or another. We should think of something else."

"That's right," Usagi said. "Together, the six of us can take down Janus."

"Remember what happened to the last senshi who tried to fight Janus alone," Minako reminded Calliste.

She once again felt the weight in her bag. "I know, but I've battled Janus many times and I haven't lost yet. With you guys as back-up, this plan will work! You just can't transform until I'm dead, or let her see you. Especially you, Ami."

Mako shook her head. "It sounds like you don't need us at all."

"If I die…"

"If you die, we all die. You've said it yourself countless times."

"We need to think of a strategy that keeps us all alive," Ami added.

"Like what? Ask her nicely to stop?" Calliste disagreed. She rose to her feet and turned to leave. Pausing for a second, she turned back to the girls at the table.

"Keep living in your dream world," she said. "Keep imagining that if you all stay together, you'll be fine. I'm going to challenge Janus and fight to keep you alive. I hope I don't die, but if I do, I wanted you to be prepared so what happened to Étoile doesn't happen to you."

She tossed the small bag on the table and left the café. The senshi sat in stunned silence for a moment before Usagi reached over and took the doll out of the bag. Tears formed in her eyes as she stared at the small representation of Sailor Stellanova in her hands.

"We'll be there," Usagi decided, "but not as back-up. Together, we'll all fight Sailor Janus and we'll get rid of her once and for all."

Sailor Minos stood on a flat rooftop, staring across the city. The moon was high overhead and the stars were twinkling almost cheerfully. Minos wished she could share in their joy. Her meeting with the inner senshi had left her angry and frustrated. She had gone to seek their help and they had turned her down, even after the endless speeches about working together. They obviously did not want to see this thing ended.

She took a deep breath and turned around full circle, slowly observing her surroundings. It would not be long before Janus found her, she knew. The two of them seemed connected somehow. It was a thought that both alarmed and intrigued Minos. Not for the first time, she wondered why she and Janus were so closely intertwined, but this was not the time or place for such thoughts. She kicked at a few loose stones and sighed. She had been waiting for quite a while and her nemesis had not yet arrived.

A sound of falling rock to her right caused her to spin around, her eyes scanning the dimly lit rooftop for the source of the noise. The moonlight momentarily vanished behind a passing cloud and Minos squinted in the sudden dimness. The last thing she wanted was for Janus to catch her off guard. There would be no chance of succeeding if that happened. As the light slowly returned, Minos caught sight of the other person on the roof. Closing her eyes and breathing a sigh of relief, Minos turned to the hidden figure.

"Come out from back there," she said.

The figure ducked behind a piece of equipment on the roof. Minos shook her head.

"I've already seen you. There's no point in hiding. If I've seen you, she probably has too."

The figure stood slowly and shamefully came out into the moonlight. Minos frowned, wondering whether she should be angry or grateful. Sailor Moon was staring at her feet, one toe absently drawing circles in the dust as she waited for her reprimand.

"What are you doing here?" Minos demanded.

"You said you needed back-up."

"This isn't what I meant. You were supposed to stay in your normal form until I needed your help. Now Janus will be able to track you as well."

"You might need help sooner than you think. We wanted to be ready."

"We?" Minos repeated.

Blushing, Sailor Moon made a gesture with her hands to the surrounding shadows. The other senshi emerged, equally embarrassed at being discovered. Minos sighed. Now she would have to protect them all.

"Are you trying to get yourselves killed?" Minos asked.

"Apparently, you all are."

All six senshi turned to find a tall man standing behind them. He was very nicely dressed in an expensive suit and had black gloves on his hands. He gazed at the assembled senshi with deep, black eyes and smiled cruelly. He pointed to each of them as he counted out loud.

"One, two, three, four, five, six senshi! All in one place, too. This will put me in the lead," he exclaimed.

"The lead for what?" Mars asked.

"Who are you?" Minos demanded at the same time.

The man shook his head. "One question at a time, please. My name is Shade and I'm afraid it doesn't matter what my game is, only that you six are pawns."

Minos clenched her hand tightly. A friend of Janus', no doubt, but where was the other senshi? She allowed her eyes the chance to glance around a final time before resolving herself to battle with Shade. Beside her, the inner senshi were also tensing for battle.

"I hope you had happy lives," Shade remarked, "because they're all ending here."

He clapped his hand sharply and a female appeared next to him. She looked like a human, only with blue skin and long green hair. She had large green lips and blue eyes that peered under half-closed lids, and she smiled lazily at her enemies.

"What the hell is that?" Minos asked.

"Youma!" Sailor Moon exclaimed in surprise.

"We can handle this," Jupiter assured the other senshi.

Minos shrugged and let the inners attack. Jupiter flew at the blue skinned girl, her uninjured hand balled into a fist. She swung, but the attack passed through the monster's shoulder and Jupiter fell forward. Sailor Mars was right behind her.

"Mars Flame Sniper!" Mars called, shooting her arrow.

The youma yawned and the arrow sailed into her mouth, disappearing. Minos raised an eyebrow, obviously impressed by the monster's power. Shade watched with a smug look on his face. The inner senshi continued to battle.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Mercury called.

The attack struck, knocking the monster back. The senshi cheered and Mercury prepared herself for another attack. The youma was ready for her this time and swung her hair around, entangling the blue senshi in her tresses. Mercury gasped as the hair began to engulf her until she was completely absorbed.

"Mercury!" Sailor Moon exclaimed.

"You sure you're okay?" Minos asked innocently.

Mars shot her an angry look and Minos shrugged. Holding out one hand, her talisman appeared and she swung it in a lazy arc. It cut through the creature's hair, dropping Mercury to the ground. Venus helped her free of the green prison.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" Venus called.

The attack severed the blue skinned monster in two, and she vanished with a scream. The senshi then faced Shade, who applauded their efforts.

"Well done," he congratulated, "and you barely needed any help. Good job."

He snapped his fingers and three more monsters appeared. These ones were not human at all, but large rock creatures with hands the size of small cars and legs as thick as tree trunks. The senshi all stepped back in shock as the three giants loomed over them.

"Squish them," Shade ordered.

"We may need your help on this one," Venus said to Minos.

"You've got it," Minos agreed.

The first of the monsters attacked, swinging its fist like a club. The senshi scattered as it struck, throwing themselves into all directions. When the monster raised his had again, there was a large crater where it had struck. Coughing against the dust, Jupiter narrowed her eyes.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" she exclaimed.

The ball of electricity flew through the air, striking the monster in the neck. The attack spread through its limbs, and for a brief moment it looked as if it would come apart. Instead the monster made a motion as if he was swallowing, and the electricity disappeared. Jupiter stood in open-mouthed defeat, wondering why her attack failed. The monster used the distraction to his advantage.

"Look out!" Minos called, tackling Jupiter to push her aside as the fist came down again.

"Mercury!" Venus said, dodging a swipe of the giant's hand.

"Scanning for weakness," Mercury reported, staring at the youma through her visor. The creature seemed impenetrable. Squinting, Mercury tried to make sense of the data as her friends fought on. She shook her head and touched her earring to make the visor disappear.

"It's too strong," Mercury said. "I can't find anything."

"Great," Mars grumbled, firing a flaming arrow into the monster's eye.

"This is ridiculous," Minos said. "Minos Goddess Explosion!"

The attack blew the creature's arm off, sending it falling to the street below. Minos winced internally, hoping no one was below them to be crushed. The other senshi gave a cheer and renewed their own attacks on the monster. Minos tried to run across the rooftop to take the monster by the other side, but was caught by the youma's enormous foot. She was sent flying through the air, landing hard on the rooftop. She lay dazed for a moment, feeling the blood well up inside her mouth, then sat up and spat. Her head spun, and she could see Sailor Moon gazing in her direction in concern, so she raised a hand to set the girl's mind at ease. Sailor Moon smiled and returned to the fight, and Minos struggled to her feet.

Shade motioned with one hand, and the other two giants joined the battle. Groaning, Minos rose to help the inner senshi handle the two fresh youma. It was apparent that they couldn't take much more fighting. All five senshi were visibly exhausted, their powers weakening as their strength faded. Sailor Moon was doing her best, but the intensity of the silver crystal was diminishing as fast as Sailor Moon's own strength.

"Minos Goddess Explosion!" Minos called, throwing another charge.

It blew a hole through the torso of one of the giants, causing it to teeter on one leg and almost fall. Sailor Venus leapt forward and threw another attack, hoping that the monster would tumble the rest of the way, but one of its companions crushed Venus beneath one of his massive hands. Her attack cleared the giant's hand, and the second youma fell to the street below. The other senshi hurried to Venus' aid, and Minos took a few steps to follow them before something caught her eyes. Stopping, she turned to see Janus standing nearby, smiling at her. Minos tried to ignore her and help the senshi win their battle, but something pulled at her, drawing her to Janus. With the inners out of the way, absorbed in their own battle, perhaps Minos could complete her plan. There was only one more giant, after all. Turning, she hurried to where Janus waited.

"Sailor Minos?" Sailor Moon called as she saw the other girl retreating.

Mercury also raised her hand and noticed Janus nearby. A crash sounded, and Mercury turned her head in time to see one of Jupiter's attack push the youma off balance. As her teammates converged on the injured giant, Mercury ran over to see if Minos was all right.

The two were fighting fiercely, neither using her powers. Mercury was fascinated by the movement, the two senshi so accustomed to each other's style that their motion was a blur. Minos could anticipate where Janus would strike next, and block the blow easily. They both fought without distraction, completely absorbed in their own feud.

They broke off their fight, each breathing heavily. Mercury could tell that Minos' energy was just about spent, but the look of determination in her eye made it clear she would not back down. Janus had a few scrapes where Minos had managed to get a lucky shot, but she was smiling cheerfully.

"I'll give you a moment to catch your breath," Janus said flippantly. "I hadn't realized you were getting so old."

Minos glared at her. Suddenly, Janus glanced over to where Mercury was hiding and a half smile passed over her face. Mercury ducked, knowing she had been seen, and made her way slowly back to where her friend fought. She heard Minos cry out, and sensed someone standing before her. Rising to her feet, she saw Janus blocking her path.

"Ami!" Janus gasped, as if surprised. "Nice to see you again!"

"Out of my way," Mercury ordered, hoping she sounded braver than she felt.

Behind Janus, Sailor Moon had noticed her friend's dilemma, and was watching curiously. She tried to run over, but the remaining giant blocked her way, sweeping her back into the fight. Sailor Moon could only watch helplessly as Mercury faced Janus alone.

"You won't escape this time," Janus promised, her hands glowing.

"Back off!" Minos said, appearing behind Mercury. "It's me you want, not her."

"That's what you think," Janus replied. "I want you all!"

Mercury backed up to stand next to Minos, hoping that together they could finally defeat Janus. Minos gave her a slight reassuring smile.

"Stellar Shower!" Janus called, summoning Sailor Stellanova's powers against her former allies.

Mercury covered her head against the rain of rocks, and Minos raised her axe above her head like an umbrella. Janus was also being struck, the powers of Stellanova still too new to be completely controlled. Lashing out, Minos caught Janus with her axe, knocking the turquoise-eyed senshi to one side. Janus hissed angrily and threw a hastily prepared attack at her enemy.

"World Shaking!" she called.

Minos was knocked across the roof, and lay still. Her axe skidded to a halt a few paces away. Janus and Mercury were left in relative isolation, the inner senshi too consumed in their battle with the stone giant to notice the dilemma of their friend.

"I faced you before, Janus," Mercury said. "I'm not afraid."

Janus laughed in the girl's face. "You're terrified, Ami. I can see it in your eyes."

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

Janus was not quite fast enough to dodge the attack, and it sent her a few staggering steps backwards. Mercury tried to use the distraction to run back to her friends, but Janus was quickly blocking her path again. Smiling, she held out her right arm and spun it full circle. A white sphere appeared, spinning in place.

"Fortuna Luck Spiral!" Janus called.

Mercury crossed her arms in front of her face and shut her eyes, preparing for the brunt of the attack. After several seconds, she realized that nothing happened. Slowly lowering her arms, she looked over to where Janus stood.

"Damn it!" Janus shrieked. "That stupid attack never works! Why do I bother?"

Mercury felt herself smile. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

She hoped the attack would take Janus off guard again, maybe knocking her down so she could run to her friends. Safety in numbers, after all. She hoped Minos was all right, but going back for her would be death for both of them.

Mercury's heart sank as Janus dodged the attack without any effort. She leapt forward and before Mercury knew it, she was standing right in front of her. Mercury could feel Janus' warm breath on her face as the enemy senshi grinned at her.

"Janus!" Mercury heard Minos call.

"Not this time," Janus replied, her eyes never leaving Mercury's face. "You won't take her from me again, Minos. This one is mine."

"Mercury!" Sailor Moon exclaimed.

Sailor Mercury turned her head to see her friend, and Janus used the opportunity to strike her hard across the face. Mercury fell to the ground, her face stinging painfully at the blow. Defiant to the end, she glared at Janus.

"I will not surrender," she said.

Janus shrugged. "Willingly or by force, the result is the same."

Minos was struggling to her feet, her eyes wide with desperation as Janus' hands began to glow. She threw a vine attack at her enemy, but was too weak for it to even reach her. She watched helplessly as Janus picked up the ice senshi and thrust her glowing hands into her stomach.

Mercury screamed.

The second battle broke off as the cry echoed across the rooftops. Mars, Jupiter, and Venus abandoned the rock giant and ran over to where their friend was being killed. Sailor Moon fell to her knees, unable to tear her eyes away from the sight. Shade, satisfied that the deed was done, vanished along with his remaining youma.

"AMI!" Sailor Moon yelled.

The blue senshi's eyes rolled into her head and closed. Janus pulled her hand free, a sphere of pale blue energy hovering on her palm. Laughing, the sphere disappeared into her body and she let Mercury fall to the ground.

"Now!" Minos yelled. "Strike now!"

The inner senshi didn't need to be told again. Her rage blinding her, Sailor Mars threw herself at Janus, fists flying. Janus ignored most of the blows, too inebriated by Mercury's powers to notice. Minos growled in frustration and grabbed her axe as she raced towards the inner senshi.

"Minos Sacred Axe!" she called, swinging her talisman.

The axe gave off several arc projectiles, which bit into Janus' flesh and drew blood. Janus staggered and turned to glare at Minos. Pushing Mars aside, she flew towards her nemesis. Mars stumbled back to where Sailor Moon was holding the vanishing body of Mercury and crying. The other senshi stood around her, watching Minos and Janus duel.


	5. About Faced

Chapter Five

About-Faced

Minos ignored her fatigue, her entire being consumed with hatred for the enemy she faced. Janus danced around her, a smirk on her face as Mercury's powers rejuvenated her. She would not win, Minos promised herself. The inner senshi had proven that they were too weak to face her. She knew know that if she died, all the senshi of the world died with her.

Janus struck her hard in the stomach, winding her and forcing her back a few steps. As she gasped for air, Minos heard the inner senshi gasp collectively and raised her watering eyes to gauge Janus' reaction. The turquoise eyed senshi was still smiling.

"You're slowing down," Janus remarked. "Is it past your nap time?"

"Shut up and fight," Minos snarled.

Janus dodged a sloppy blow and spun around in a pirouette. Minos waited for her to make the next move. She risked a look at her audience. Sailor Moon was crouched on the ground, her face streaked with tears. Mars knelt next to her, one hand on her shoulder, staring at Janus with hate-filled eyes. Jupiter and Venus stood behind them, hard eyes watching the battle eagerly.

"Minos Sacred Axe!" Minos called, sending the weakened attack at Janus.

She spun around and caught Minos' power in her small clay jar. Minos' eyes widened in sudden fear. She was in no condition to survive Janus' evil fog, if the wicked senshi chose to use it. She needed to goad Janus into using Mercury's attack, and hopefully gaining the upper hand enough to chase her away.

"Not that same old trick again," Minos said, panting slightly.

Janus paused, surprised that her enemy was speaking plainly and not begging for mercy. The smile quickly reappeared on her face. "I see. You have a special attack in mind to die by. How sweet."

Minos also forced a smile. "You know me too well, Janus. I love seeing your new tricks almost as much as you love showing them off."

"Minos!" Sailor Moon gasped.

"Are you crazy?" Jupiter called.

Minos ignored them. Her blue eyes were locked on Janus. She could tell her nemesis was considering her words, in fact she could almost hear the internal dialogue. Breathless seconds passed as Minos waited with her heart in her throat.

Janus smiled. "You're right. I'm dying to try out my newest trick."

Minos almost smiled in relief when suddenly, Janus was flying towards her, hands outstretched and an expression of fury on her face. Minos did her best to fight her off, but Janus was too strong. Finally, Minos managed a lucky kick at Janus, knocking her away.

"Minos Ivy Whip!"

The green chain when flying towards Janus, who grabbed the end with lightning fast reflexes and pulled strongly. Minos yelped in surprise as she was yanked forward, towards her enemy. She became entangled in her own attack as Janus drew her close.

"One final battle," Janus whispered, her lips next to Minos' ear. "And one final secret. I killed your parents."

Minos was too shocked for words. The night came back to her vividly. Crouching at the top of the stairs, watching her parents being murdered, seeing someone dressed like Janus fleeing the house. She was crying at the top of the stairs, smelling the scent of her parents' blood mixed with her mother's perfume. She barely heard the sirens or the police as they found her, still on the stairs.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

She didn't see the attack. She was once again the child on the stairs, the child with the powers of the Earth Goddess, who did nothing as her parents breathed their last. She was the child who cried herself to sleep every night until she found Mikko, her only friend. Tears streamed down her face as the attack threw her into the air, with Janus only seconds behind her. She hit the ground hard enough to force all the air from her lungs, but she barely felt it. Janus crouched next to her, and the inner senshi were screaming frantically, but Minos felt almost peaceful. The fighting was over.

Dark hair and turquoise eyes filled her vision as two glowing hands descended closer to her chest. Minos smiled dreamily and closed her eyes.

"Mikko," she whispered.

Janus blinked as she heard her enemy speak her name. Her hands had already plunged deep into Minos' body, searching for the soul that would soon be hers.

"Calli?" Janus murmured. "It can't be…"

Minos screamed as her life ended, and Janus cried out as her best friend died in her arms.

"Minos!" Sailor Moon yelled, scrambling across the roof to where Janus knelt over the body of her friend.

"Sailor Moon! No!" Mars replied, trying to grab the princess as she crawled away.

Suddenly, Minos and Janus were consumed by a white hemisphere of light. The inners could only stare as the two senshi vanished and the dome exploded. The remaining four senshi were thrown backwards, blinded by the dazzling light. It lasted several seconds and when it finally faded, Sailor Moon gazed back to where the two senshi had been.

Minos was gone, and Janus lay unconscious on the ground. Blinking, Sailor Moon stumbled to her feet and made her way slowly to where her enemy lay. She heard her friends behind her, recovering from the blow, but ignored them. She fumbled for her crystal, hoping to heal Janus of whatever evilness consumed her before she woke. She thought maybe by saving Janus, she could redeem herself to the spirit of Minos, wherever it now was.

Abruptly, Janus sat up, gazing wild eyed at the senshi and the rooftop. She didn't speak and shrank back from Sailor Moon, her turquoise eyes full of fear. Sailor Moon stopped, taken aback by the reaction of the once fierce Sailor Janus. Frantically, Janus rose to her feet and ran off, tripping once or twice as she headed to the edge of the roof. Without hesitation, she leapt and disappeared from view. Sailor Moon stared after her until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"It's over," Sailor Venus said. "Let's go home."

Usagi was surprised at how quickly life settled back into a normal routine. Only a few weeks after the rooftop battle, she was laughing again. She went to school, went out with her friends, wrote letters to Mamoru, and endured scoldings by both Luna and her mother. She ate deserts, played video games, and occasionally even did her homework. The fierce pain in her gut that had come after Ami's death had settled into a dull ache, and she found she could think of her friend without bursting into tears.

Her friends coped with Ami's death by never speaking of it. They would remember Ami fondly, but the conversation would not go as far as to remind them she was never coming back. If people asked, they would say that Ami was on a trip and would be gone for a while. None of them could admit out loud that she was gone forever, even though deep down the all knew the truth. They had seen it with their own eyes.

Usagi found herself walking to school alone, without Étoile or Ami for company any longer. It was during these walks that she felt their deaths most severely. Even if Naru managed to catch up to her, she still could almost feel Étoile walking behind her, and Ami at her side. She would smile at Naru, and laugh where appropriate, but her heart was always heavy on those early morning walks.

The senshi were all surprised to that neither Shade nor Janus ever attacked again. The enemy that threatened to take all their lives vanished in an instant along with Sailor Minos, as if Minos continued to protect them after death. Life settled into a semblance of peace and order, the cost having been three lives.

One afternoon, Usagi found herself in the downtown shopping district. She was heading towards the woodworking store where Calliste had once lived. Across the street was the empty lot where Étoile had lost her life to Sailor Janus. Usagi stood facing the lot, cars passing unnoticed behind her. She willed herself to see Étoile's last moments, the heroic battle she must have fought, but the dirt and brick yielded nothing. She would never know exactly what had happened to her friend.

Across the street, the woodworking store was closed. It looked as if it hadn't been opened for several days. Usagi thought that Calliste's friend Mikko must have moved on after hearing of Calliste's death. She wished Mikko well, hoping she had a good life. With a sigh, she turned to walk away from the scene of so much sorrow.

Suddenly, she heard a noise from the empty lot. Spinning around, she saw a man leaning casually against the brick wall. He was clapping his gloved hands together slowly, applauding Usagi for an unknown reason.

"Bravo, Sailor Moon," Shade said. "I wondered how long I would have to wait for you here."

"Shade," Usagi replied angrily. "How dare you show yourself here?"

The man smiled. "I don't know what you did to my sister, Janus, but I would like to thank you. Wherever she is now, she's out of my hair at last. My employer will recognize my talents now, instead of hers."

"Your employer?" Usagi questioned.

Shade waved a finger at her. "No tricks, Sailor Moon. Your powers will be mine!"

He snapped his fingers, and a snarling tiger youma appeared. It bared its fangs at Usagi, drool falling to the ground like rain, and roared. Usagi yelped in surprise and scrambled backwards until she was against the wall. The tiger crept closer, its beady eyes never leaving her face.

"I'll give you a chance," Shade called. "Transform and surrender your powers willingly."

"Never!" Usagi replied.

The tiger snapped at her and she shrank away, flattening herself against the scratchy brick wall. Shade laughed. Usagi glanced around, frantically trying to think of an escape. The tiger was watching her every movement, and she knew she could not get far with this animal chasing her.

"Mamo-chan," Usagi whispered. "I wish you were here!"

Unexpectedly, someone else appeared in time to save her. Usagi stared in disbelief as Sailor Janus leapt down from the rooftops and stood between Usagi and the tiger. Without saying a word, she lunged at the youma, knocking it down with a single tackle and escaping its vicious jaws. While the creature lay on the ground, Janus moved with unspeakable agility from youma to master, striking at Shade with her fists. The gloved man held up both arms to block her, but Janus forced him back against the wall. Janus raised a fist for a final blow, when Shade vanished along with his youma. Janus turned to look at Usagi, who was still trying to figure out exactly what had just happened.

"Sailor Janus!" Usagi exclaimed.

Janus cocked her head at the girl, as if confused by what Usagi was calling her. As Usagi approached, Janus became nervous and quickly jumped to the rooftops of the nearby buildings. She ran, leaving Usagi standing alone in the empty lot, wondering why their fiercest enemy was suddenly an ally.

"You're sure it was Janus?" Rei asked.

Usagi nodded miserably. She had hurried from the empty lot to the Shrine, calling her friends on the way. She had even tried calling Ami, absentmindedly waiting for her dead friend to pick up her communicator. The others had made it to the Shrine before she had, and now the four of them along with the two cats, were seated in Rei's bedroom.

"That doesn't make any sense," Luna commented. "Why would Janus save Usagi from Shade?"

"And then run without trying to steal Usagi's powers," Artemis added.

Minako was pacing around the room, deep in thought. She paused as the cats spoke, glancing from Artemis to where Usagi sat on Rei's bed.

"Something must have happened… that night," Minako said.

The others knew exactly to which night she was referring.

"Minos completely vanished when that dome exploded," Mako agreed. "Do you think she survived?"

Usagi shook her head. "As much as I miss Calliste-san, I saw Janus take her life. And that wasn't Sailor Minos who saved me. It was definitely Janus."

"What else can you tell us about that explosion?" Luna asked.

"It was very bright," Rei said, thinking with difficulty to the night when Ami died. "It happened just as Janus finished with Minos. When the light faded, only Janus was left, but she seemed different somehow."

"Less likely to attack us, you mean," Mako said dryly.

"But she could have, fresh with Minos' powers," Minako pointed out. "We would've been sitting ducks."

"But she ran," Rei mused.

"And she was frightened," Usagi added quietly. Everyone turned to look at her. Usagi was staring at her hands, folded in her lap. "I saw her eyes. She was terrified of me. Of all of us."

The girls fells silent as they pondered Usagi's statement. The thought of Janus frightened of anything was almost too ridiculous to understand. The wicked senshi never showed any mercy or fear.

"So what do we do now?" Minako asked, breaking the silence. "Shade is obviously still around and out to get senshi."

"And somehow he knows who we are," Rei added.

"We do what we always do," Usagi told them. "We fight."

Shade paced back and forth in front of the Boss, absently pulling at his gloves and muttering to himself. The Boss watched him move, his beady eyes following the steps of his henchman as he continued to eat. Finally he could stand the motion no longer, and he threw his half eaten chicken leg at Shade. The young man stopped abruptly as the bone hit the ground with a loud clatter. He turned to face the Boss, a startled expression on his face.

"Enough moping, Shade," the Boss snarled, bits of food falling from his mouth. "And enough excuses. You have nothing to fear from me."

Shade remained silent, his eyes focused on the fat man's face.

"I forgave you for losing Sailor Janus," the Boss reminded him almost gently.

Shade's mouth twisted in suppressed anger. He still had bruises from the Boss' forgiveness. Wisely, he remained quiet.

"But I won't keep giving you chances," the Boss continued. "Bring me more senshi essences, or next time I won't be so kind hearted."

"She came to stop me," Shade said.

"Who? Sailor Minos?"

"No. Sailor Janus."

The Boss stared at him hard. His face turned red and his enormous body began to shake with anger. "How dare you! Janus was a daughter to me. She would not betray me for senshi!"

Shade was both amused and frightened by the Boss' rage. He shrugged nonchalantly. "Believe what you want. Janus is the reason that I don't have Sailor Moon right now."

"Liar! Get out of my sight!"

Dodging more thrown food, Shade disappeared into the shadows of the room. The Boss calmed down a bit, breathing hard from his recent exertion. Janus had not died, but turned traitor. The thought was too alarming to be real.

"She was a baby when I found her," the Boss said aloud, even though the room was empty. "Just an infant, barely old enough to be away from her mother. I sensed a great emptiness in her, and I filled it with hatred. I taught her everything she knows, I nurtured and raised her. I gave her a life worth living! And this is my payment?"

He screamed, and the sound of his outraged voice echoed through the building. From the shadows, Shade listened with quiet delight. The favourite was gone. At last he would have the recognition he deserved.

She lay still, curled into a fetal position in the corner of the shop. Around her was darkness and silence, except for the voices in her head. She shut her eyes tightly against them, hoping to absorb the stillness around her and impose it on her mind, but nothing worked.

She saw visions, of a royal palace with a beautiful starry sky, of a desolate wasteland of ruined buildings, of herself smiling at herself, of pain and torment, of sadness, of happiness, of everything. The images rolled across her mind like a tidal wave, completely incoherent and jumbled. Sometimes she would be calm, her mind in a state of peace, while other times she wanted to scream with anger and frustration. She was being torn apart from the inside out and had no way to stop it.

The people, the senshi, she could see them all. They were enemies. They were friends. They were victims. She could remember names briefly, before they were gone. She recalled moments in her past or present, or maybe even her future. She had no idea what her mind was showing her, or if she would stay sane long enough to sort it out.

She opened her turquoise eyes enough for a tear to squeeze through before the torment began anew.

Scanning the city, Shade could not see any signs of the senshi. He knew four remained, four weak girls whose spirits were necessary for the completion of the game. He wondered if they were sleeping, oblivious to the death that stalked them. He also wondered where Janus was hiding, why she had saved the girl when only weeks ago she had been thirsting for blood.

"Youma," he called to the creature standing patiently behind him. "Go."

With an appreciative snarl, the youma vanished from the rooftop.

"Usagi! Wake up!"

Usagi rolled over in her bed, vaguely aware of the voice calling her. She was dreaming of Mamoru, as she often did. They were on the Moon, during the Silver Millennium, and he was battling Queen Beryl's army for her. She was watching him bravely defending her, and knew at the end of the dream he would be victorious. Her dream this time, however, was not the same as it usually was. She could sense a figure behind her, but when she turned no one was there.

'_The Crystal, Princess. It will set me free…_'

"Usagi! Up! Now!"

Usagi sat up quickly as four sets of claws embedded themselves into her leg. She cried out in pain, then rubbed her sleep-filled eyes wearily. Luna was standing on her bed, staring at her impatiently.

"Are you awake now?" the cat asked.

"Luna, it's the middle of the night," Usagi mumbled.

"There's a youma attacking in the park," Luna told her. "Hurry up. The faster you defeat it, the faster you can go back to sleep."

Usagi pulled herself out of bed and began to dress. "Did you tell the others?"

"Yes. They're probably already there. Come on!"

The battle was already underway by the time Sailor Moon and Luna arrived on the scene. Sailor Mars was attacking a small child-sized youma with long pink hair and blue skin. Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus were standing by, ready to jump in where needed.

"It's about time," Mars managed to say as Sailor Moon arrived.

"Now the fun can really start!" the youma squeaked excitedly.

Without moving, the monster telepathically shoved Mars aside, sending her flying into a tree. It did the same thing to Jupiter and Venus while it turned to face Sailor Moon.

"You're the one," the youma said.

Sailor Moon's eyed widened and she gasped uncomfortably. "Me? But you hardly know me!"

"You're the one," it repeated. "Come."

Sailor Moon found herself being pulled towards the monster. The childlike creature didn't even have to move to attack, and as Sailor Mars struggled to get to her feet, the creature sent another psionic wave to knock her to the ground.

"Sailor Moon!" Mars gasped.

"Mars! Help!" Moon cried as she struggled in vain. "I don't know what's going on! I can't move!"

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" Sailor Venus called, awkwardly tossing her attack at the youma.

It exploded near the monster, but did little damage. The child squeaked in surprise and turned its head to stare at Venus. Its large eyes became hypnotic, luring Venus into unconsciousness. Jupiter struggled against her invisible bonds as her friend sagged and fell to the ground.

"It'll take more than that to stop us," Jupiter promised. "Jupiter Oak Revolution!"

The leaves sped towards the youma, but bounced aside harmlessly as if they had hit a wall. The monster kept its eyes on Sailor Moon as it pushed Jupiter to the ground and held her there.

"You're the one," it said again. "The only one. Come."

"Luna!" Sailor Moon exclaimed. "What do I do?"

Before the cat could think of an answer, another figure appeared. It took the cats a moment to realize it was Sailor Janus. The dark haired senshi moved with incredible speed, kicking the youma in the head and knocking it aside. Suddenly, Sailor Moon found herself able to move and she fell to the ground. Sailor Janus didn't let up her assault, striking the youma repeatedly with her hands and feet. Finally the monster recovered enough to launch a counter-attack, and Janus was thrown across the part and slammed into a tree. She slid down the trunk and disappeared into the bushes.

"Mars Flame Sniper!" Mars called.

The youma spun around, realizing too late that it had let its concentration waver on the imprisoned senshi. It cried out as the flaming arrow consumed it and it vanished into dust. Sailor Moon ran over to the bushes where Janus had fallen, passing Sailor Venus who was waking up from her hypnosis.

The dark haired senshi lay still, as if she had fallen asleep. The other senshi and cats crowded around her, watching her.

"It is Janus!" Mars exclaimed.

"She saved us," Jupiter said.

"And now I'm going to save her," Moon decided, removing her crystal from her brooch.

She knelt next to the girl and passed the crystal over her sleeping body. Janus moaned softly once, and then lay quiet until Sailor Moon was finished. The senshi waited in breathless anticipation for the girl they had once called their enemy to wake up.

Slowly, Janus opened her eyes. She saw the inner senshi crowded around her, and was immediately alarmed. She sat up quickly and back herself against the tree, her turquoise eyes wildly moving back and forth. Sailor Moon held up her hands in a peaceful gesture, hoping to calm the girl down.

"It's okay," Sailor Moon said. "We're friends."

Janus' expression suddenly became hurt. She shook her head as if dispelling an unwanted image. Mars and Venus exchanged skeptical looks.

Janus shook her head. "No. We're not friends. We're enemies. I remember you! I remember you when you were different. I watched over you, but now I fight you and protect you. That's how it is, but …"

She scrambled to her feet and backed away. Sailor Moon rose as well, following the girl, trying to make sense out of what she was saying.

"Stay away," Janus warned. "I'm dangerous. Your mother doesn't like you going too far from me. I can't save you all!"

Spinning around, Janus ran off and disappeared into the night.

"That was unusual," Venus remarked. "What do you think she meant?"

Sailor Moon shook her head. "I have no idea, but I hope she figures things out."

As the senshi began to walk away, Jupiter lingered behind them. Luna and Artemis sat at her feet, looking up at her expectantly.

"For a moment," Jupiter said thoughtfully, "she almost sounded like Sailor Minos."


	6. Broken Dreams

Chapter Six

Broken Dreams

Shade followed the distracted Janus, floating high above her, watching as she ran without direction or destination. She was talking to herself, shaking her head and clenching her hands into fists. Once or twice, she stopped and turned as if she were going to return to where the senshi had defeated his youma, but she always turned back and kept running. Shade was intrigued by her behaviour. It looked as if she were going insane.

He suspected this whole hero routine was a ruse to gain the senshi's trust and slaughter them all. He knew he had to be rid of Janus once and for all to secure his place at the Boss' right side. The fat man had a soft spot for Janus, and was likely to restore her to her former glory if she changed her mind and returned to him. Shade could not allow that.

When Janus stopped running, Shade descended to the ground. Holding out one gloved hand, he caused a shining sword to materialize. Knowing how powerful Janus could be, he created a shield on his other arm. Smiling confidently to himself, he strode forward to defeat his rival.

Janus was huddled on the ground like a child, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. She was staring at the ground, her hair partially obstructing her face, and muttering to herself. Shade didn't care what she was saying, but advanced slowly and raised his sword to strike. One blow would take off her confused head and seal her betrayal permanently.

Suddenly, Janus looked up at him, her turquoise eyes defiant.

"Attack!" she cried in a loud voice. "Invasion! The army has arrived!"

Shade blinked in confusion, not expecting Janus to suddenly start yelling. The senshi rose quickly to her feet, fumbling at her waist for a weapon that was not there. She seemed surprised, and faced Shade.

"You won't get past me, Negaverse villain!" she declared. "Your part in this war ends here."

Again, Shade paused, clearly wondering what on earth Janus was talking about. He didn't have time to ask, as the senshi charged at him. He held up his shield to deflect her fists, and swung with his sword towards her unprotected back. She managed to avoid his blow and spun around to face him again. She held out her hand flat in front of her, and Shade prepared himself for her assault.

Janus opened her mouth to speak the magical words, but her brow creased in confusion. She blinked a few times and looked at Shade as if seeing him for the first time. She relaxed her stance for a moment before noticing his sword and shield. She realized she was the intended target of his aggression and she took a few steps backwards. Shade smiled, happy that his victim was finally taking him seriously, and advanced with his sword.

"Aegyptus Sun Disc!" Janus called, launching a flaming ball of fire at her enemy.

Shade ducked behind his shield, noticing that the attack was far weaker than he had ever seen it before. Still, he waited until the flamed subsided before preparing to defeat his rival.

When he lowered his shield, Janus was gone.

Rei and Minako set their bags down on the curb, taking a break from the long walk home. They had been shopping downtown almost all day, laughing and enjoying life as they had before the latest enemy had appeared. They had wandered further and further away from the Shrine until they were quite a far distance from home and without any bus money. The two girls had no choice but to walk.

"I'm exhausted," Minako gasped, sitting down on the side of the road. "Why didn't we save some bus money?"

Rei sat next to her and smiled. "At least it's a nice, sunny day."

Almost as if her words caused it, the sky suddenly became dark and it began to rain. Minako shot Rei an angry look, and the other girl shrugged and smiled sheepishly. Grabbing their purchases, they began to run in search of shelter from the sudden downpour.

They ran almost blindly, dodging the few remaining people on the street. Rei grabbed Minako by the sleeve and pulled her down a dark alleyway that was partially covered. Breathing hard and rubbing their arms for warmth, the two girls leaned against the brick wall and began to laugh. Rei squeezed the excess water from her long hair, when she heard a sound at the back of the alley. She paused, blinking in surprise, and listened carefully.

"What is it?" Minako asked.

"Shhh!" Rei hissed. "I hear something."

"It's probably a cat," Minako replied, wringing out the sleeve of her jacket.

"No," Rei disagreed. "It sounds like… crying."

Curiousity overcame caution and the two girl crept deeper into the dark alley towards the muffled sound of sobs. The back of the alley was filled with boxes and Rei motioned for Minako to wait for her as she scrambled over the obstructions. She found a person, half buried under wet newspapers.

"Hello?" Rei asked softly. "Are you okay?"

The person turned, and Rei found herself staring into turquoise eyes. It took her only a moment to realize it was Sailor Janus who lay weeping on the ground. The senshi's eyes widened in shock and she scrambled into a kneeling position facing Rei. Her fuku was dirty and torn in some places, and her hair was matted with dirt and wet from the rain. She looked horrible.

"My Lady Mars!" she gasped. "The Queen mustn't find you out so late!"

Rei blinked in confusion. Minako came scrambling over the top of the boxes when she heard voices. Janus looked up at her and smiled.

"Lady Venus, you know better than to follow Lady Mars out at night," she chided.

Minako looked at Rei, who shrugged. Janus shut her eyes closed and pressed her hands to the sides of her head. She muttered under her breath and when she opened her eyes to look at the girls again, she pushed herself back as far as she could go.

"Senshi! Get back! Stay away!" she hissed.

"What's going on?" Minako asked.

"I don't know," Rei replied. "Maybe we should leave her alone."

"No!" Janus exclaimed. "Please, don't leave. You said we had to stick together, once. Please, she's out there, looking for you. I can't protect you if you leave," She looked around, her voice full of worry.

"Minos?" Rei whispered, dreading what the answer might be.

Janus' eyes hardened, and she laughed maliciously. "Still looking for your hero? Well, she's gone forever now. No one left to save you!"

She lunged at Rei, reaching out with her torn gloves to grab the girl by the throat. Rei shrieked and pushed herself back, falling over the boxes and tumbling into the alley. Minako was right behind her, landing in a puddle as she tried to get away from Janus' hands. Rei scrambled to her feet, pulling Minako to hers, and the two girls fled the alley.

Janus froze, one arm outstretched, her eyes filling with tears. "Please… I don't want to be alone anymore…"

"What's the emergency?" Usagi demanded, closing her pink umbrella. "It's pouring out there."

Luna popped her head out of the front of Usagi's rain coat, where she had hidden as Usagi walked through the storm. She squeezed her way free and landed gracefully on the ground, shaking the small amount of moisture that had leaked through the raincoat from her fur. She moved deeper into Rei's room, hopping onto the bed and sitting down next to Artemis. The white cat was soaking wet and trying desperately to groom his matted fur. Luna smiled smugly at him before helping him clean his tail.

Mako was also seated in the room, her hair still damp from the weather. She was holding a cup of hot tea and smiled at Usagi as the blonde girl made her way into the room. Minako was sitting beside her at the small table, also drinking some tea, and Rei was seated on the bed next to the cats.

"It's Janus," Rei began.

Usagi immediately brightened. "Did you see her? Did the Crystal work? Is she on our side?"

Rei held up a hand against the barrage of questions and shook her head. "We saw her, but she's not herself."

"She's insane," Minako spoke up. "One second she was addressing us like royalty, the next she was trying to kill us."

"Royalty?" Luna repeated.

Rei nodded. "She called me Lady Mars, and said the Queen would be upset to see I was out so late, and she called Minako Lady Venus."

"Those were the titles you girls held at court during the Silver Millennium," Artemis spoke up.

"But Calliste-san told us she had no memory of the Moon Kingdom," Mako argued. "If Sailor Minos wasn't there, why would Sailor Janus be there?"

Luna shook her head. "There's so much about that time we've forgotten."

Artemis sighed. "Maybe there was a Sailor Janus there, but I thought Queen Serenity only held court for the guardians of this solar system."

"Does it matter?" Usagi asked. "Janus is obviously confused. We need to help her."

"She's gone crazy, Usagi-chan," Rei said gently. "I don't know what else we can do for her."

"Maybe the Crystal didn't work," Usagi thought aloud. "Maybe I should try again."

"That might revert her to her evil ways," Mako spoke up. "Even if she is unpredictable now, at least she's not attacking us."

"But I can't leave her like that!" Usagi wailed, tears welling up in her eyes. "It's my fault she's confused. She needs our help."

The others looked at her sadly. Usagi glanced at each one imploringly.

"We failed Ami-chan, but we can help Janus. I know she's not entirely evil. She just needs another chance."

Luna smiled at her ward. "Maybe you're right, Usagi-chan. We won't know until we try."

"And if it doesn't work," Rei began doubtfully.

"It will work," Usagi told her. "I know it will."

Rei and Minako led the way down the wet streets. The storm had passed, and the senshi all agreed that if they wanted to try to help Janus, they should do it right away. No one knew where she would disappear to otherwise. Usagi followed, one hand holding her brooch nervously, but her face was set in a determined grin. Luna and Artemis were at her heels, and Makoto bringing up the rear. The group walked in relative silence, each wondering whether they were doing the right thing.

"Down there," Minako pointed to the alley where they had taken shelter a few short hours ago.

Usagi glanced around their location, surprised to discover they were right next to Calliste's shop. The store was dark and boarded up, with a 'For Sale' sign hanging in the window. The lifeless store dropped Usagi's spirits slightly, and she felt a sharp pain of sadness for the protective senshi. The others were looking at her, and she nodded once. Following Rei, she went deeper down the alley. Since it was so narrow, Makoto, Minako, and the cats waited at the entrance.

There was a figure at the back of the alley, wrapped in newspapers, crying softly. Rei glanced at the form and nodded to Usagi. The blonde girl reached forward with one hand to gently touch the figure on the shoulder. Before her fingers brushed the person, a hand whipped out of the newspaper and grabbed her by the wrist. Usagi gasped in surprise and Rei stumbled backwards. The person sat up and smiled.

"Shade!" Usagi gasped.

"Sailor Moon," Shade replied. "Nice to see you."

The whole place seemed different somehow. As she walked along the concrete pathways, she found she could barely recognize the Queen's city. The people seemed to be strangers, giving her strange looks as she waved a greeting, or completely avoiding her by crossing the roads. There was a different feel to the air, a heavier atmosphere than she was used to, and she had yet to find a single familiar face.

She made a mental note to speak to her teammates when she returned. They were supposed to remain in constant contact while on duty. They all knew that and were well aware of the rules. Breaking the rules meant punishment, no matter how much she hated to discipline her friends. A part of her thought she should be punished as well for losing sight of her charge. The Queen would be kind, but she hated to disappoint …

Her mother. Her father too. Both were gone. A tear fell down her face, as it always did when she recalled her parents. She had to find the one who did this. She had to track her down and make her pay…

For the souls she carried. She was paying the price now, losing whatever was left of her sanity. She could feel them within her, torturing her for what she did to them. She deserved it. She could see it now, thanks to Sailor Moon…

Could never face them alone. She and her senshi were hardly a match for the Boss. Soon, all their powers would belong to her, and she would finally feel complete. She hungered for the power… the one power that was hers… the one power she already had…

A scream shattered the still air, bringing her back to reality, however momentarily. Leaping to the rooftops, she ran to the source, still confused over who she was and what she was sent to do.

Sailor Moon cried out in a panicky voice as she dropped to the ground, narrowly missing Shade's attack. Sailor Mars was sheltered behind a garbage bin, watching her opponent move. Jupiter and Venus remained at the mouth of the alley, waiting for an opportunity to lure Shade into the open.

Shade had already gained the high ground, standing on a pile of boxes, raining balls of fire down on the senshi. He was laughing, obviously enjoying himself as he watched the remaining four inner senshi scramble for safety. Sailor Moon glanced across the alley to Sailor Mars, but the dark haired senshi was staring intently at her opponent, waiting for an opening to attack.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Shade called with a laugh. "I promise not to kill you as painfully as I could!"

Sailor Moon frowned, her blue eyes wide with fear. A fireball exploded near her shelter, and she cried out in surprise. A sudden blast of electricity soared down the alley, clearly from Sailor Jupiter, but it was too far to do any damage to Shade. Sailor Moon could hear both Jupiter and Venus expressing their frustration at not being able to help their trapped friends. She looked at Mars again, this time catching her friends' eye.

"What do we do?" Sailor Moon whispered.

Mars pressed herself against the damp brick wall as another attack sailed past. "We wait, and hope we get a lucky shot," she said bitterly, angry at herself for being in this position.

Shade laughed again, when suddenly another figured dropped from the rooftops to land between Shade and the two other senshi. The attacks ceased, and Sailor Moon peeked cautiously over the top of her barricade. Across the alley, Sailor Mars did the same. Shade was still smiling, but his attention had been turned to the girl standing fearlessly in front of him. It was Sailor Janus. Sailor Moon wasn't sure whether to cheer or to hide again.

"Sister," Shade said emotionlessly. "How nice to see you."

"Can it," Janus replied. "The senshi are mine. The Boss' orders."

Shade raised an eyebrow. "Really? Last I heard, you had betrayed us all and were banished from his sight. He was really quite shaken by your actions, sister. I think you hurt his feelings."

Janus' eyes narrowed. "Back off, Shade. These little ones are mine. I owe it to Minos."

"Prove your loyalty," Shade countered, crossing his hands over his chest.

Janus grinned and held out her hand. A small clay pot was resting on her palm. Spinning around, she held the pot so its mouth was facing the alley.

"All Evils Release!" she called.

The deadly black mist poured from the pot, engulfing the alley. Sailor Moon fell to her knees, one hand around her throat, choking against the fog. She could see Sailor Mars doing the same thing, and heard Jupiter and Venus retreated in spite of themselves. Shade was also coughing in the mist, Janus being the only one unaffected.

As the density of the fog increased, Shade found himself growing weaker. Taking a deep breath, he shot a look of pure hatred at Janus and vanished. When he was gone, the fog dispersed, and the cool, humid air returned to the alley. Sailor Moon was still on the ground, her strength having been absorbed by the vicious attack. Mars lay limply across the alley, her eyes open but her body unresponsive. Sailor Janus moved to stand over Sailor Moon, the clay jar still in her hands.

"Sailor Moon!" Mars protested weakly.

Janus knelt next to Sailor Moon and looked curiously at the girl. "What did you do?" she demanded.

Sailor Moon's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What did you do?" Janus repeated more urgently. "You did something. I was lost, then you did something and now I'm still lost, but not as much as I was before. I know who I am – or who I was, or who I'm supposed to be. I'm not sure which one yet, but I need to know what you did!"

Sailor Moon managed to push herself upright. "I tried to heal you," she said quietly.

Janus stood in stupefied silence for a moment. Jupiter and Venus returned, running down the alley in single file to join their friends. Jupiter looked ready to attack when she saw Mars lying weakly against the wall and Janus standing over an equally weakened Moon, but Sailor Moon held up her hand to stop them. The two senshi waited quietly to see what would develop, Venus going to Mars' side and Jupiter standing protectively close to Sailor Moon.

"Heal me?" Janus repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why?"

"I believe in second chances," Sailor Moon told her, "and something about you changed that night Sailor Minos died. You looked… frightened."

Janus sat down next to Sailor Moon, ignoring Jupiter completely. "Did it work?"

"You tell me," Sailor Moon replied with a smile. She could feel some of her strength returning.

Janus shook her head. "No! No, this isn't right. We should be fighting. It's time to train. You need to be strong in case I'm not around to protect you!"

Sailor Moon reached out and took Janus by the hands. The dark haired senshi turned to look at the blue eyed girl. Sailor Moon smiled gently.

"Let me help," she said.

Janus blinked and nodded slowly. Sailor Moon tried to get to her feet, but found that she was still too weak from the previous attack. Sailor Jupiter reached out to support her as Janus also stood. She fingered the clay pot.

"I'm sorry," Janus whispered.

"No!" Jupiter exclaimed, half holding Sailor Moon as she tried to stop the other senshi.

Janus aimed the pot at Sailor Moon. "Last Hope!" she called.

A tiny spark of light leapt from the pot and landed on Sailor Moon's chest, absorbing into her. Sailor Moon gasped and her body began to glow. Another spark danced across the alley to settle on Sailor Mars. The glow spread across the two senshi like sunlight breaking through clouds, then quickly faded. Sailor Moon opened her eyes and smiled, standing unaided as Janus' power restored all her energy. Behind Janus, Mars also rose to her feet, amazed at what had just happened.

"Thank you," Sailor Moon said. "Now, let me help you."

Janus closed her eyes in anticipation. Removing the Silver Crystal from her brooch, Sailor Moon held it on the palm of her hand, facing Sailor Janus. Concentrating, the Crystal began to glow, and the light spread from Sailor Moon and onto Sailor Janus, as Janus' power had done only seconds ago.

Completely engulfed in the silver light, Janus kept her eyes closed. She could feel the thoughts in her head becoming clearer, and she felt herself rising off the ground. As the inner senshi watched, the light became so intense that for a brief second they had to shield their eyes, before the glow faded and Janus sank to the ground.

The senshi had changed. She no longer wore the strange fuku she had been dressed in before, but now wore a uniform more like those of the senshi themselves. Her collar was silver, and her bows and skirt a sky blue. She wore a gold tiara on her head with a blue gem and a blue choker around her neck. The shoulders of her fuku stood out like armor, and were golden yellow. On her feet, she wore tall silver leg grieves that covered most of her legs and her feet. She had a thin rapier belted at her waist. As she lifted her head and opened her eyes, they were still a brilliant turquoise, but were much more clear and happier than they had ever been before.

"Thank you, Sailor Moon," Sailor Janus said. "I am whole again."


	7. Turning the Tables

Chapter Seven

Turning the Tables

The girls gathered at the Shrine, assembling as always in Rei's bedroom. This time, they had one more person joining them and hopefully all the unanswered questions could be brought to light.

Mikko could hardly believe all that had happened to her. She was finally seeing things clearly, now that her thoughts were properly organized. She knew who she was, who she had been, and what she had to do. As she watched the other girls chatting as Rei served them all tea, she wondered if they had it in their hearts to forgive her.

Usagi flashed her a bright smile and sat down at the table next to her. Mikko could not help but feel proud at who the blonde girl had become. She felt a tear in her eye as she thought back to her time on the Moon Kingdom, and also felt deeply ashamed at the grief she had caused.

"Now," Luna said matter-of-factly. "Why not start at the beginning?"

Mikko blushed. "I'm afraid that will take some time, and I don't think I have everything sorted out quite yet. How about I explain what I can?"

The others nodded, eager for information. Mikko could still tell they were wary of her, and knew they had every right to be. She would have to prove herself to them. She took a deep breath as she collected her thoughts, and began to speak.

"I was on the Moon Kingdom," Mikko said. "My team and I were called the Protectors, and we guarded the royal family. We were also in charge of the young senshi, mentoring and teaching them about their powers."

She couldn't help but glance at Usagi as she spoke. The blonde girl caught the look and her eyes widened in surprise. Mikko looked away. She knew if she stopped speaking now, her fear and shame would not let her carry on. Focusing her gaze on her hands folded in her lap, she continued.

"After the Negaverse destroyed the Moon Kingdom, I can only assume that we were sent to Earth as well, perhaps to guard the princess and her senshi. Something must have happened to me… I ended up on a desolate asteroid without any knowledge of my senshi powers, or of the Moon Kingdom. I could transform, but there was an emptiness inside me where I think my powers were supposed to be. I found that I needed powers to feel whole, so I hunted for them.

"When I came to Earth, I had already killed a lot of senshi. I never knew why I enjoyed senshi so much, taking their powers into me temporarily filled the void, but with every senshi I craved more. It never occurred to me then that I might be trying to find my own lost powers; I thought I was simply born to hunt. Then I met Sailor Minos – Calliste. I knew her in my human form as well. We were best friends, inseparable. She was also the senshi I knew I must destroy."

A tear fell down Mikko's cheek as she spoke. It was obvious she mourned the death of Calliste, the only true friend she had ever known. Her hands clenched together tightly on her lap, knowing she would never have that kind of happiness again and that she had ruined it.

"Why destroy her if you were friends?" Artemis asked. Luna smacked him with her paw, irritably.

"I didn't know," Mikko said simply. "Not until she lay dying in my arms, I didn't know Minos and Calliste were the same person, anymore than she knew I was Janus. When I took her powers, the void disappeared. I was whole again, and she was a part of me. I had all my memories of the Moon Kingdom, my memories as the senshi killing Janus, and all of Calli's memories of Sailor Minos."

"How is that possible?" Rei asked. "How could killing Minos given you what no other senshi could give you before?"

Mikko shook her head. "I don't know. All I know is that, thanks to Usagi, I know my proper duty. I was reborn on Earth not to kill senshi, but to find Serenity's court and guide them as I had done in the past. It looks like you all managed fine on your own, anyway."

Minako turned to the cats. "I thought you were sent to guide us."

Artemis shrugged. "So did I. Maybe Janus was supposed to protect you before we had to awaken your powers?"

"Or maybe Janus was supposed to train you to fight like warriors," Luna added. "I certainly couldn't help Usagi with that."

"Luna!" Usagi exclaimed indignantly.

Mikko couldn't help but smile. "I'm proud of you, Princess. You turned out as I had hoped you would: brave, confident, powerful, and strong."

Usagi blushed. Rei laughed and shook her head.

"You should have seen her when she started out as Sailor Moon!" Rei gasped. "If it hadn't been for Tuxedo Kamen, she would've died in that first battle!"

"You weren't perfect either, Rei!" Usagi snapped.

Mikko shook her head. "I'm sorry, Princess. I should have been there to teach you. And I'm sorry to you too, Luna. I know how much of a handful Serenity can be. I should have been here to help you with her."

Luna shook her head dismissively. "That's not your fault, and it's not important right now. Do you think Shade will leave now that you're no longer his ally?"

Mikko frowned as she thought. "My memories are still a little jumbled, but I can tell you for certain that Shade has only begun to fight. Now that I'm gone, he'll try even harder to please the Boss."

"The Boss?" Makoto questioned.

"Our leader. He's the one who brought us to Earth and ordered us to kill senshi. He was also the one who found me on the asteroid and raised me to hunt senshi."

Again, Mikko's eyes fell to her lap. Usagi put a comforting hand on her shoulder and smiled encouragingly.

"So it's not over yet," Minako sighed. "We have to deal with Shade and this Boss character."

"Shade is vain and desperate for attention," Mikko said. "He hates to fight personally, but would rather use youma to battle. I know you can handle him."

The others waited expectantly. The way Mikko had drifted off at the end of her sentence made it seem like she had more to say. The turquoise eyed girl was silent, however; staring at her hands with an expression of sadness and regret on her face.

"It's getting late," Luna said, breaking the awkward silence. "Usagi-chan, we should head home."

The others nodded in agreement and began to move. Mikko stayed where she was until Usagi shook her gently on the shoulder. Blinking out of her reverie, Mikko looked up at the young girl.

"Time to go home," Usagi said. "We'll see each other tomorrow."

Mikko nodded dumbly and stood. Without saying anything, she left the room and started the long walk back to her apartment.

The apartment was dark and dirty after so many days of neglect. Mikko had not been here in weeks, and everything was as Calliste had left it. Mikko walked through the place quietly, her fingertips brushing against the furniture, displacing the dust. She could almost hear Calliste behind her, disappearing into the shadows when she turned. She could feel Calliste within her still, the memories and thoughts of the girl she had killed, mingling freely with her own.

She remembered things she had not experienced personally. A joke she had heard on the radio, a fondness for a piece of furniture she had carved, the love of her parents when she was a child. All of these stolen thoughts belonged to Calliste, but they fit so well in her own mind, she found herself wondering if Calliste had really, truly existed. She paused in front of a picture of the two of them, smiling in delight in front of the store they had just purchased. Holding the photo, Mikko knew her friend had not been imaginary.

Descending the dark stairs that led from the apartment into the store below, Mikko instinctively began to start up the woodworking machines. She tied her hair back and pulled on a pair of heavy work gloves as the tools hummed to life. Quietly, she began to work, manipulating the wood as she thought of Calliste and the time she had wasted, too consumed in her desire for power to realize she had been happy.

Shade could still feel the fog in his throat. He coughed uncomfortably, his gloved hands massaging his throat to clear it. The effects of Janus' attack had taken some time to wear off, and as he lay weakly on his bed, he realized how dangerous Janus was as an enemy. She would have to be eliminated quickly for him to continue harvesting senshi.

The Boss was still convinced Janus would return to him, given time. He was blind in his love of the girl he had raised as his own, but Shade could see the truth. Janus was never coming back; in order for their plan to succeed, the Boss needed to realize this and plan accordingly. It was up to Shade to make him see the truth.

"What's the matter?" a teasing girlish voice asked. "Feeling sick?"

Shade rolled his eyes. "What do you care, Aura?"

A petit girl with pale, wispy blonde hair and large black eyes stepped in front of him. She had pale skin that almost glowed in the darkness and wore a flimsy green dress that left little to the imagination. Her appearance was quite fairy-like, but her personality was extremely volatile. Shade hated talking to her, knowing that anything he said could set her off. Wincing slightly, he rose from his bed to stand over the girl.

Aura frowned prettily. "Oh, Shade. I do care about you! You're like the brother I used to have, but ended up killing!"

She leaned forward on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. Shade suffered her momentary affection silently. This was only the calm before the storm.

"If you must know, Janus has turned against us and attacked me with that wretched fog of hers," Shade snapped.

Aura's already large eyes widened, and her small mouth turned into an 'O' of surprise. Shade caught a twinkle in her eye that told him she was amused at the turn of events and not as shocked as she appeared to be.

"How dreadful!" Aura gasped. "We should send her to her room without supper!"

Shade permitted himself a grin. "Why don't you go find her, Aura dear? The two of you were always so close."

Aura smiled menacingly, revealing sharp teeth that were oddly out of place in such a beautiful mouth. She winked at him and vanished. Shade smiled to himself and chuckled as he walked down the hallway to speak to the Boss.

The next morning, the sun shone brightly and the birds sang. All traces of the rainstorm of the previous day had disappeared, evaporating in the warmth of the day. Mikko felt her spirits lift slightly as she walked down the street towards the Shrine. She wasn't sure if the others would be there or not, but she felt the need to be with people who understood her. She stopped dead in the center of the sidewalk, much to the annoyance of the people walking behind her. Ignoring their calls as they pushed passed her, Mikko thought again about her destination. The person she really wanted to see was the princess, not the other senshi at the Shrine. She wanted to talk to the girl called Usagi and ask her about her life. Smiling to herself, she changed directions and headed to the Tsukino residence.

She saw Luna lying in the sun just outside the house. The black cat woke when she heard someone approaching and nodded to Mikko as the girl waved. Luna rose to her feet, stretched, and headed down the path to meet the visitor.

"Good morning," Luna greeted. "You seem much happier today."

Mikko smiled. "I did a lot of thinking last night, and I made a table and a few chairs while I was doing it. Apparently, I absorbed Calliste's skills as well as her memories. I came to see Usagi. Is she inside?"

Luna nodded. "She's having breakfast with her family."

Mikko hesitated. "Maybe I should come back…"

"Mikko!"

The girl raised her head to see Usagi standing in the doorway, waving her arm frantically to get the other's attention. Mikko smiled and waved back. Usagi gestured for her to come in and disappeared into the house, peeking around the side of the door when she realized Mikko had not yet moved. Turning back to Luna, Mikko shrugged and went inside. The black cat returned to sunning herself on the walkway.

"Hello, Usagi," Mikko said. "I came by to see if you wanted to go for a walk?"

Usagi nodded. "Sure! Mama! I'm going out for a walk!" she called back into the house as she struggled into her shoes.

The two girls left the house, Usagi patting Luna on the head as she passed, and headed down the street.

"What's new?" Usagi asked a few minutes later, after they had walked several blocks in silence.

Mikko smiled at her. "Tell me about yourself, Usagi."

"Well, I have a brother named Shingo. He drives me crazy sometimes, but he's an okay kid. I guess."

Mikko nodded but said nothing, encouraging Usagi to continue.

"I'm in high school. My friends helped me through the entrance exams and I think I'm doing okay so far. It's so much harder than middle school!"

"Any boyfriends?" Mikko asked suddenly.

Usagi blushed as the two girls rounded a corner and entered the park. The sun sparkled on the blue lake and a lot of couples sat on the hillside, enjoying the nice weather. Mikko and Usagi followed the path up the hill and towards the wooded area behind it.

"My boyfriend is studying in America," Usagi replied, twisting the ring Mamoru had given her absently with one finger. "His name is Mamoru."

"Is he Endymion, the Earth Prince?" Mikko pressed.

Startled, Usagi nodded. She glanced up at the other girl, who smiled at her.

"I'm glad," Mikko said. "I always hoped the two of you would find happiness."

Usagi stopped and sat down on a park bench, and Mikko followed. The black haired girl stretched her arms over her head and leaned back, tilting her head to stare up at the clouds. Usagi sat upright, her hands folded on her lap and her eyes staring at her hands.

"Mikko?" Usagi asked.

"Yes?"  
"You said your team protected and taught the other senshi. Us."

Mikko sat up and glanced curiously at Usagi. The blond girl risked a quick look at Mikko's face before staring back at her hands.

"Who did you teach?"

Mikko sighed, thinking back to the time on the Moon. Each member of her team had mentored a young senshi, molding them and preparing them to one day become the protectors of the new Queen. Leiko, the feisty Sailor Andromeda, had spent her time mentoring Lady Jupiter. Hiroko, the no-nonsense Sailor Fortuna showed Lady Venus how to lead the group. The spiritual Suma, Sailor Aegyptus, would always meditate with Lady Mars, and the soft spoken Yasu, Sailor Pandora, was often in the library with Lady Mercury. Mikko bit her lip and looked at Usagi, who was waiting expectantly for the answer. How could she tell the princess that she was the one who taught her? How would Usagi react, knowing the one who killed her friends once regarded her as a sister?

"Where have you been, young lady?"

Mikko looked up and saw a petite girl standing next to her. The girl had large innocent eyes and an expression of curiousity on her face. Usagi smiled warmly at her and opened her mouth to speak, but Mikko put a warning hand on her arm to silence her. Usagi glanced up at her new friend and saw the anger and hatred burning in her eyes.

"What do you want?" Mikko demanded.

Tears welled up in the other girl's eyes and her lower lip began to tremble. Usagi tried to say something to comfort the girl, but Mikko squeezed her arm tightly.

"After all this time," the girl whimpered, "you can't even say hello?"

Mikko rolled her eyes and sighed. "Hello Aura. What do you want?"

The girl pouted cutely and wagged a finger at Mikko. "You've been naughty, sister. Shade told me so."

Usagi blinked in surprised. Mikko held her hand firmly on Usagi's arm, but her eyes were riveted on Aura.

"You've made our Boss very upset," Aura continued, her arms clasped behind her back and her foot drawing patterns in the dirt. "Why are you mad at us?"

"I'm not mad," Mikko said soothingly. "I've changed. Knowing what I know now, I couldn't go back, even if I had a reason to."

Aura's foot stopped moving. Her arms straightened at her sides and her hands clenched into fists. The sad, pouty expression on her face hardened as she stared at Mikko. Her eyes flicked momentarily to Usagi, and she raised an eyebrow.

"It's her, isn't it?" Aura asked. "Your other mortal died, so you replaced her with this one?"  
Mikko's eyes went cold and she removed her hand from Usagi's arm. Aura gave her a knowing smile and wink as Mikko rose to her feet.

"Shade was right," Aura said. "You are a traitor, but I can help you, sister. I can save you."

Mikko blinked as Aura twisted her body around to face Usagi. Her eyes turned red and she shot two beams of energy from her eyes at the defenseless girl.

"Usagi!" Mikko gasped, throwing herself towards her friend.

The twin beams struck Mikko as she pushed Usagi off the bench. The two girls rolled on the ground, sliding to a halt a few feet away. Usagi stared at Mikko in shock as the black haired girl groaned and pushed herself upright.

"Mikko! Are you all right?" Usagi asked.

"Fine," she replied through clenched teeth. "We have to get out of here."

She stumbled to her feet and took a few hesitant steps, wincing as she moved, before another blast knocked her down. Aura was walking towards her, clucking her tongue and shaking her head as if she were chiding a child.

"Dear, dear sister," Aura sighed. "You were my favourite, you know that? I'm almost sad to see you die."

Usagi stood, holding her brooch and staring defiantly at Aura. Mikko felt a growing dread in her stomach and she shook her head weakly.

"Moon Eternal, Make-Up!" Usagi called.

Aura's eyes widened in surprise as Sailor Moon suddenly appeared before her. Mikko closed her eyes and shook her head. The last thing she wanted to do was fight Aura.

"I can't let you interrupt friends on a beautiful day," Sailor Moon said.

Aura arched an eyebrow. "You can't let me? What are you going to do about it?"

"In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"

Aura regarded her enemy for a moment, as if deciding whether or not she was serious. Finally, she burst out laughing. Sailor Moon frowned as Aura held her sides and roared with mirth.

"In the name of the Moon? Really? You and what army?"

"Me."

Aura stopped laughing and turned around. Sailor Janus was standing behind her, arms crossed over her chest and her face a mask of determination. Her eyes, however, betrayed the pain she still felt from Aura's previous two attacks. She drew the rapier she wore at her side and pointed it at Aura.

"Ah, Janus. There you are!" Aura exclaimed cheerfully. She looked the senshi up and down. "Nice uniform. Armour looks good on you."

"Enough talk, Aura. We both know Shade put you up to this. How long has he been controlling you?"

Aura's already cruel eyes narrowed. "Shade? He can't control his own powers. How could he possibly control me?"  
Lunging forward, Aura created a crystal sword in her right hand and thrust it at Janus. Caught slightly off guard, Janus parried clumsily with her rapier. Aura smiled as she continued her attack, forcing Janus to defend and quickly lose ground. Sailor Moon watched with growing alarm as Aura cornered Janus against a tree, flicking the rapier out of the senshi's hand. The weapon flew through the air and landed a few feet from Sailor Moon, the momentum embedding the sword into the soft earth. Aura placed her blade against Janus's neck.

"Poor misguided Janus," Aura whispered. "We used to have such fun together. What happened to you?"

"I saw the truth," Janus replied.

"And now, your powers will be mine. The Boss will be so proud of me!"

Aura moved her head closer to Janus, the blade still pressed firmly against her victim's neck. Janus tried to squirm out of her way as Aura got closer, pursing her lips to kiss Janus and absorb her energy.

"That's enough!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, pointing her Eternal Tier at Aura.

Distracted, Aura snarled and glared at Sailor Moon over her shoulder. In one swift movement, she used her blade to pin Janus firmly against the tree. One opponent secure, she charged at Sailor Moon, her fingernails elongating into claws. Sailor Moon yelped in surprise and winced as the Eternal Tier was knocked from her hands. Janus flinched sympathetically as Aura threw Sailor Moon across the hill with one easy motion.

"How dare you interrupt!" Aura screamed with rage.

"Ouch," Sailor Moon whimpered to herself. Raising her eyes, she saw Janus's rapier was within reach.

Aura was coming towards her again, her dark eyes glowing red as she prepared herself to shoot another energy beam. Sailor Janus tugged at the blade that held her against the tree, but it was no use. Frantically, she called to Sailor Moon.

"Use the rapier!"

Sailor Moon nodded and grabbed the sword, holding it awkwardly. Aura grinned, revealing a mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth, and caused another crystal sword to materialize in her hand.

"Protect yourself!" Janus called. "Use the rapier!"

"I don't know how to fight with a sword!" Sailor Moon wailed, running from Aura's attack.

"Yes, you do!" Janus told her. "You asked me before who I taught. It was you, Sailor Moon! I taught you how to be a warrior, and a leader. Use the rapier!"

Sailor Moon cried in alarm as Aura came flying towards her. Instinctively, she raised the weapon and blocked Aura's attack. The petite girl was taken aback as Sailor Moon began to duel with the sword, forcing her opponent back. Janus called out encouragements as Sailor Moon pushed Aura against the bench and knocked the crystal sword from her hand. Aura's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"This game is not over," she promised, disappearing into thin air.

Sailor Moon was grinning as she helped unpin Janus from the tree. Overcome with happiness, Sailor Janus engulfed her in a massive hug. Holding her at arms length after a few moments, there were tears in Janus's eyes.

"I couldn't be more proud of you, Princess," she said.

Sailor Moon gasped as Janus's eyes rolled into her head and she fell unconscious to the ground.

Aura sat on some barrels, her arms crossed over her chest and a large frown on her face. Shade chuckled to himself as he approached her, pushing some of his hair from his face. Aura turned herself around so her back was facing him and exhaled dramatically.

"Not so easy, is it?" Shade asked.

Aura didn't reply.

"Looks like our dear sister stumbled on some new power when she deserted us."

Shade paused for a moment, knowing full well Aura was listening to him, but unsure whether the girl would rise to the bait. The figure on the barrels didn't move.

"Imagine all that power," Shade continued. "It's going to waste inside of Janus. It truly belongs to someone who will use it, who's not afraid to take it."

Shade smiled to himself as Aura slowly turned around to face him. Her black eyes were curious, but still full of suspicion. He tugged off one of his gloves and stared at the black circle on his palm. It glowed slightly, echoing his own anticipation.

"A simple touch is all it would take," he mused to himself. Aura was listening more closely now.

_Time to reel the fish in_, Shade thought.

He glanced back at her, and she looked away abruptly as if she had just been caught. He cupped her chin with his gloved hand and turned her head to face her. She didn't resist as he traced her lips with his thumb.

"A simple kiss, even," he added, "and all her powers would be ours."

Aura yanked her chin out of his grasp. "I almost had her."

"But you failed."

"Sailor Moon – "

"Is too weak to even be considered a senshi. Really, Aura. I'm ashamed of you."

Aura's eyes narrowed. "You're not the boss of me!"

"But I am," the Boss' deep voice echoed through the room. "Stop fighting like children. There are still senshi out there."

Aura stuck her tongue out at Shade and disappeared. Glancing at his palm again, Shade pulled his glove back on and turned to vanish in the shadows.


	8. Into Shadows

Chapter Eight

Into Shadows

Mikko's eyes fluttered open and she was surprised to find herself still in the park. Usagi knelt next to her, her large blue eyes shimmering with tears. The sun was still high in the sky, and the people who visited the park were still going about their business, oblivious to the battle that had just been fought.

"Are you okay?" Usagi asked.

Mikko nodded, ignoring the searing pain in her torso where Aura's bolts had struck her. Her wrist stung where the crystal sword had knocked her rapier from her hand, and her shoulder hurt where Aura had pinned her to the tree. Forcing herself to smile, she sat up and looked over Usagi.

"Are you okay? You should have run from Aura."

Usagi sat back on her heels. Mikko noticed the rapier still lay next to her. "I'm fine. I was worried about you. You were gone for a while."

Mikko smiled genuinely. "Princess, you should think about yourself more often; but I suppose I was the one who taught you about protecting your friends."

Usagi blinked in surprise. "I suppose you did."

Scrambling to her feet, Usagi gently helped Mikko stand. As the older girl stretched her sore body, Usagi picked up the rapier and handed it to Mikko.

"You keep it," the turquoise eyed girl replied.

Her eyes brimming with tears, Usagi nodded and clutched the rapier's hilt with both hands.

Mikko smiled and turned to walk away, wincing as she moved. She hoped Usagi could not see the pain she was in and she waved to the blond girl to join her.

"I'll walk you home, Usagi-chan. I'm glad we had a chance to talk, even if it was interrupted."

Usagi moved quickly to her side and the two of them left the park the same way they had come in.

Aura sulked in her room, replaying the battle in her mind. The twit of a senshi had beaten her, while Janus watched. Staring at her lap, Aura thought back to the fun she and Janus used to have. They had destroyed cities together, slain hundreds of people, tormented and tortured senshi before absorbing their powers and killing their bodies. The three of them had been an unstoppable force – her, Janus, and Shade. They had had such fun, until Janus had gone to Earth and met an unbeatable senshi called Sailor Minos.

Aura cupped her chin in both her hands, resting her elbows on her knees. Somehow Janus had been changed. Her sister had been taken from her and transformed into a true senshi. Aura felt almost physically sick as she thought of the good Janus would be forced to do.

"It's that Sailor Moon's fault," Aura thought aloud. "I bet she's the one who turned Janus against me."

She remembered the look in Janus' eyes when she appeared – confusion and hatred, but also worry for the other girl's safety. It was a look Aura had never seen before.

"Aura, come here," the Boss' voice summoned.

Rising to her feet, Aura vanished from her room and reappeared in front of the mammoth bulk of the Boss. She made a mock curtsey and winked playfully at him.

"What's up, chief?" she asked.

"Shade has already left for Earth," the Boss told her. "He's pursuing his next target while you're sitting in your room."

Aura remained silent, her hatred bubbling up inside of her.

"I want you to go to Earth and capture Janus," the Boss ordered. "She can be turned to our side again, I'm sure of it. Bring her to me. Alive."

Aura rolled her eyes. "Sure. Alive. Whatever."

_I can destroy Sailor Moon, to avenge Janus_, Aura thought to herself. _If the new Janus gets in the way, I'll kill her too._

Usagi walked quickly down the busy streets of the shopping district, 'ooo-ing' and 'ahh-ing' over everything in the windows. Minako was only a few steps behind her, pointing to displays and dreaming about how her life would be different if only she had that jacket. Rei walked more serenely down the street, pretending for the most part that she didn't know Usagi or Minako.

"Will you two act more maturely?" Rei demanded.

Usagi stopped laughing and looked up at her dark haired friend. "What do you mean, Rei-chan?"

Rei sighed. "Never mind."

"Hey! Isn't that Mikko's shop?" Minako said suddenly, pointing down the street. "We must have wandered father than we thought."

Usagi fell silent. The building remained locked and dark, in spite of Mikko living in the apartment. In her mind's eye, Usagi could picture Calliste standing outside the door, waving at them. Glancing across the street, she could almost hear Sailor Stellanova in her last desperate battle for her life. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Rei standing there, smiling.

"Maybe we should head back," Rei suggested.

Usagi smiled gratefully and the two girls turned around to find the busy street behind them totally deserted. Minako gasped in surprise as a few pieces of paper blew across the empty street. Turning her head, Usagi realized they were completely alone.

Suddenly, there was a streak of movement and Usagi felt something crash into her, knocking her backwards. She saw Rei reach out with one hand, just missing her as she fell. Minako called out, but Usagi did not hear what was said. She landed on the ground with a thud and felt the wind get knocked out of her. Looking up, she saw the mad eyes of Aura staring down at her.

"Hello, princess," Aura whispered. "Mind if I give you a kiss?"

Usagi struggled under the girl's grip and found she could not move. Aura lowered her head, preparing to absorb Usagi's essence, when a fiery arrow pushed her aside. Glancing up, she saw Sailor Mars standing nearby, another arrow already ready.

"Brats," Aura hissed.

With a negligent flick of her hand, Aura caught Sailor Mars and threw her carelessly aside. Mars cried out in alarm as she soared through the air, landing hard against a building and falling several stories to the ground.

"Sailor Mars!" Usagi gasped from where she was still pinned.

"Now, where were we?" Aura asked.

"Venus Love Me Chain!"

Aura gagged as the chain wrapped around her throat and yanked her backwards. Usagi managed to scramble away as Sailor Venus reeled in her catch. Aura continued to make choking sounds, but her eyes narrowed. Spinning around quickly, she caught Venus in her own chain. Gasping for air, Venus pointed a finger at Aura.

"Venus … Crescent… Beam!" she managed.

The beam burned Aura's arm, causing her to release the chain. Taking deep breaths, Venus barely had time to recover as Aura flew at her, screaming in anger. She caused dozens of small crystal darts to appear in the air and shot them at the orange senshi. Venus somehow managed to evade them all.

"Venus…" Usagi gasped, holding her brooch. "Moon Eternal, Make-Up!"

Aura began to laugh as she saw Sailor Moon approach. Moving quickly, she tossed Sailor Moon back using the same trick she had used on Sailor Mars. Sailor Moon put her hand in front of her face to block the attack, but found herself sliding steadily backwards. Blinking against the wind, she could barely make out what was happening to Sailor Venus.

The two had begun to fight again, Venus using her "Love and Beauty Shock" attack to try and slow Aura down. The other girl looked as if she was having a good time, jumping around to avoid attacks and tossing crystal darts almost carelessly. Sailor Moon pressed against the attack she was caught in until suddenly she heard a scream, and the force pushing her back stopped. Aura's attack abruptly ceased and Sailor Moon fell to her knees. When she raised her head, she saw Venus lying motionless on the ground, a crystal dart protruding from her torso. Aura was kneeling over her, kissing her almost tenderly.

"Venus!" Sailor Moon yelled.

A white light escaped from Venus' body and was sucked eagerly into Aura's mouth. The girl sat up, her eyes closed and a smile on her face, as if she had just tasted her favourite dish. Tears formed in Sailor Moon's eyes and the rapier Janus had given her materialized in her hand.

"You destroyed an innocent life," Sailor Moon accused, rising to her feet and holding her rapier at the ready. "I cannot forgive you for that."

"And you killed my sister," Aura replied. "That is why you will die."

Sailor Moon lunged forward, tears streaming from her eyes as she cried out in anger. The body of Venus lay on the ground, eyes closed and a peaceful expression on her face. The crystal shard was the only unnatural thing about the scene.

Aura created her own sword to defend herself against Sailor Moon's enraged blows. The two dueled for quite some time. Aura had calmness and experience on her side, but Sailor Moon was fueled by blind rage and power. Images of Minako appeared before her eyes, the laughter and the sadness, the times they had fought together.

Finally, Sailor Moon saw an opening and thrust will all her strength. Her rapier cut through Aura's shoulder, and the girl gasped in pain. Surprised by her power, Sailor Moon let go of her weapon and Aura fell to the ground with the rapier still embedded in her arm.

"Sailor Moon!"

Breathing hard and blinking sweat from her eyes, Sailor Moon looked up to see Sailor Janus standing nearby, an injured Sailor Mars next to her. Sinking to the ground, Sailor Moon barely noticed Janus as she ran towards her and knelt next to her. Aura was breathing hard as well, but had not tried to retreat.

"Venus…" Janus sighed, looking over at the body.

Holding out her hand, a small clay pot appeared on her palm. She walked over to where Venus lay and rested a hand on her crystal dart. With one movement, she pulled it free of the body and tossed it aside.

"Last Hope!" Janus called, holding out the pot.

Her eyes widened with intense pain and she doubled over, clutching her stomach. The clay jar fell to the ground but did not break. Straightening, Janus picked up the jar again.

"Last – "

The pain returned, more forceful than before. Janus found it difficult to breath and her hand were clenched in fists. Sailor Moon moved to kneel next to her and put a steadying hand on her back.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Aura began to laugh. "You're weak, sister. The powers you took are rebelling inside you. They'll tear you apart!"

Janus stared at her hands in disbelief. Her powers? Her hands were shaking and an image of Sailor Pandora, the soft spoken Yasu, appeared in her mind. She had not pictured her murdered comrades in years. She held her hand together to keep them from moving.

"Please," she begged. "Please, Yasu-chan. Lend me your powers once more to save this girl, this senshi."

Trembling, she picked up the clay pot again. Aura was still laughing.

"Last Hope!"

A ray of light more bright and powerful than Janus had ever summoned before shot from the clay jar. It split in two – half going into Aura and the other into Venus. Aura screamed and struggled as her newly gained powers were taken from her and returned to their owner. Janus sat motionlessly, holding the pot with her eyes closed, until the light faded and she toppled over.

"Janus!" Sailor Moon gasped.

The body of Venus began to move. Colour returned to her cheeks and she took a deep breath. Sailor Moon began to cry and she threw herself on Venus to hug her as the girl regained consciousness. Sailor Mars made her way to join the group, checking on Janus as Sailor Moon embraced Venus.

"You're alive!" Sailor Moon cried. "I'm so happy!"

"But Aura is gone," Sailor Mars reported.

"She'll be back," Janus assured them. "I'm sure we can count on that."

Makoto finished sweeping her living room and stood up straight, letting out a deep breath and brushing the hair from her eyes. Her entire apartment was spotless, but it had taken her all day to do. She had even told her friends she couldn't go shopping with them because of the mess. She briefly wondered what the others were up to right now, but pushed the thought away as she put away her cleaning supplies and sat down on the couch, tired but satisfied.

There was a knock at her door. Thinking it might be her friends, coming to see if she was done, Makoto leapt to her feet with newfound energy and hurried to greet her visitor. She swung the door open wide, but the smile melted from her face as soon as she realized who was standing there.

The young man smiled at her as he stood in the doorway, one arm resting on the doorframe and the other hanging at his side. He was so close to the door when it was opened that Mako found herself taking a step backwards. He used the opportunity to push himself into the apartment, glancing around as he entered.

"Nice place," he commented. "Beautifully kept."

"What do you want, Shade?" Mako asked. "How did you find me?"

Shade waved a gloved finger at her and shook his head. "Don't be so nosey. I have my resources. I know all of you so well, Sailor Jupiter."

Mako's hands tensed into fists. Shade sat down on a chair and laughed.

"Relax, my dear. There's no reason for us to fight. Simply surrender your powers and I'll be on my way."

"Like I would surrender to you," Mako spat.

Shade rose to his feet. "I assure you, you're quite alone. My dear Aura has your friends…occupied at the moment. It's only you and I."

Mako smiled grimly. "One-on-one. A fair fight."

Shade shook his head. "Who said anything about fighting fair?"

He snapped his fingers and a muscular man appeared with greenish-blue skin and spiked hair. The man cracked his knuckles and advanced, chuckling to himself. Shade sat down again, resting his head lightly in one hand, to watch the fight.

"Jupiter Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

In a flash, Sailor Jupiter was standing before the monster, ready to fight. The man charged at her, and she dodged his clumsy attack, leaping to one side. Instead of hitting her, the fighter smashed a cabinet full of fragile knickknacks. Jupiter winced as her ornaments shattered. Shade laughed lightly.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!" she called.

The attack struck the monster, and it growled in frustration. Jupiter increased the power of her attack, bombarding the fighter with oak leaves which it frantically tried to swat away. Finally, it gave a final roar and disappeared, leaving a pile of dark ash on the ground.

Breathing hard, Jupiter whirled around to face Shade, who had risen to his feet. He clapping his gloved hands together and bowed his head towards Jupiter.

"Bravo," he said, "and defeated it so quickly too. Very well done. I'm impressed by the strength of your powers."

"I fought your monster," Jupiter said. "Shouldn't you be running home to mommy now?"

Shade laughed. "Oh no, my dear. That pathetic excuse for a youma was only a distraction to weaken you. Now that you're run down, it's my turn."

Shade removed one of his gloves, revealing a large black spot on his palm. He held out his arm, palm forward, and a beam of dark energy shot out of his hand. Jupiter quickly moved out of the way, but the beam followed her around her apartment. Ducking into the kitchen, she grabbed a silver platter and held it like a shield. As the beam approached, she stood and held up the platter, reflected the beam back at Shade. He ducked, but his concentration was interrupted and the attack ceased. Jupiter launched herself into the air, aiming a kick at Shade's face. He caught her foot and twisted her around in mid-air. She fell to the ground, breaking a table in the process.

"Nice try," Shade commented, aiming at her again.

Jupiter pulled one of her rose earrings from her ear and threw it at him. It caught him on the cheek, forcing his head back and slicing through his skin. He touched his face gently and saw the blood on his fingers.

"How dare you!" Shade snapped.

He flew forwards with such speed that Jupiter had no time to move, pinning her to the ground by her throat. His gloved hand constricted tighter around her neck, cutting off her air, as he moved his other hand closer to her face. The black spot began to expand and Jupiter stared at it in horror.

"You little twit," Shade snarled. "You senshi think you are the greatest because of your powers. Well, let's see how well you stand up to my powers!"

Jupiter tried to squirm away from him, but his grip was too strong. Spots formed in her vision as he moved his palm closer. She glared at him, and the small antennae rose from her tiara.

"Supreme…Thunder!" she gasped.

Shade released her as he was struck by her electrical charge. He stumbled backwards, blue-white lightning moving up and down his arm as he was electrocuted. Jupiter coughed and sat up, taking deep breaths as she watched the effect of her attack. As it died down, Shade gave her a look of intense hatred and disappeared.

Sailor Jupiter rose shakily to her feet. Her eyes swept across her apartment, taking in the damage. It had taken her all day to clean it, and after a few minutes, it was a disaster area again.

With a sigh, Jupiter returned to her broom closet and pulled out her cleaning supplies.

Mikko sat next to the bed where Minako lay sleeping, recovering from Aura's near fatal attack. She could hear the others talking around her, but she paid them no attention. Minako's screams echoed through her mind as Aura pierced her body with the crystal darts. Tears sprang unbidden in her eyes as the cries of all the senshi he murdered joined Minako's terrified scream. A part of her deep down recalled with joy the sensation of making their powers her own, and she felt sick and angry at herself. She felt the stolen powers stirring within her, and she thought of what Aura had said. What would happen to her if the powers left? It was only because she had killed Sailor Pandora that Minako was still alive. Her body still hurt from when the senshi essences with her had rebelled. Did they really hate her so much?

Someone cleared their throat behind her and Mikko turned, wiping the tears from her eyes as she moved. The younger senshi were all sitting around Rei's room, looking at her expectantly. Mako had joined them; Usagi had called her as soon as they arrived at Rei's shrine. The tall brown haired girl had hurried over and quickly explained what had happened to her that afternoon. Now, after the stories had been told and Minako had been put in Rei's bed to rest, they were all wondering what Mikko had to say to them. Rei and Mako seemed surprised and a little shocked to see tears in Mikko's eyes, and Usagi wore a sympathetic expression. Mikko took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, banishing the demons from her mind.

"This can't continue," Mikko said abruptly. "We have to end it."

"How?" Mako asked.

Mikko's eyes drifted back to Minako. "Leave that to me. I can trick Aura into bringing me to the Boss."

"And from there?" Rei pressed.

Mikko bit her lip and averted her gaze from Rei's face. Usagi's eyes widened and she leaned forward in her chair, placing one hand on Mikko's knee.

"You can't!" Usagi gasped. "Mikko-san, you just can't!"

"I have to, princess," Mikko replied. Tears were brimming in her eyes as she forced a smile. "It's my duty to protect all of you."

Mako blinked in confusion. "What are you saying?"  
Mikko turned to face her. "I owe it to the senshi who once taught you, and to you as well, to save your lives. I will face the Boss, and destroy him and his entire base using the powers I've … collected."

"But you'll die," Rei objected.

Mikko nodded. "It's my duty and my penance."

"No! I won't allow it!" Usagi exclaimed.

Her friends looked at her in surprise. She was standing up straight, her hands clenched at her sides and her lower lip trembling. They had rarely seen her so agitated.

"Usagi-chan," Mikko began.

The blond girl shook her head. "No more dying. Haruka-san, Michiru-san, Étoile-chan, Ami-chan, Calliste-san… they're all gone. I can't stand losing another friend. I won't let you die!"

Mikko smiled gently and nodded, touched by the girl's concern. "Okay, Usagi. We'll go together, but if I tell you to run, I need you to promise that you will."

"Run?" Usagi repeated, a little deflated now that Mikko had agreed so easily.

"Trust me," Mikko said. "I won't throw my life away, but the people we're facing want your powers. I won't let them get to you, even if it means putting myself in danger. There won't be time to argue later, so please promise me you'll listen."

Usagi's expression softened and she sat down again. "Okay. I promise."

"So, what's the plan?" Mako asked.

Mikko sighed. "I know where the Boss is. He's on an asteroid orbiting the Earth. We'll have to get there somehow."

"Sailor teleport?" Usagi suggested.

"Without Ami-chan?" Rei pointed out. "We need more power."

"We have Mikko-san," Makoto said. "We'll have enough."

Mikko stood. "We'll meet tomorrow morning at my apartment. One of the reasons I persuaded Calliste to buy that store was because the lot across the street is directly below the asteroid. At the time, it was very convenient for me to move back and forth between Earth and the base."

Rei's eyes widened, and Mako whistled impressively. Mikko moved to the door, taking one final glance at Minako's sleeping form.

"Get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow," Mikko said with a smile and a wink.

As she left the shrine, her happy expression faded into concern. She would have four girls to protect and three opponents to defeat. She inhaled the cool night air deeply, wishing her companions were with her, and regretting the circumstances that led to their reunion. She wished she could apologize to them, bring them back with no hard feelings, but she knew they would hate her. Tears fell from her eyes. She had murdered them, stolen their spirits, and forced their powers to kill others. She had made them go against their very nature. She had perverted them, and herself.

Looking up, Mikko realized she had walked all the way home, consumed by her thoughts. She walked up the steps to her second floor apartment, put her key in the door and pushed it open. She gasped as a form rose from the couch to greet her. For a split second, Mikko was sure it was Calliste, and that her friend had been waiting up for her as she used to do. Mikko flicked the lights on and saw Aura standing in the middle of the room.

"Hello, dear sister," Aura said warmly. "Pleasant night, isn't it?"

Usagi was awake at sunrise, even before Luna. She was dressing when the cat yawned and opened her eyes. Luna blinked in surprise, glancing from the empty bed to the moving girl, and back again.

"If only you were this enthusiastic about school," Luna said.

"I'm worried Mikko might leave without us," Usagi replied from the depths of her shirt. "Rei-chan said she might try something."

Luna stretched and sat back down on the bed, her golden eyes watching Usagi closely. "Are you sure you're ready for this? Minako is still recovering from her attack."

"We'll be fine. Mikko knows our enemies, and we have to stop this before someone else dies."

Luna was quiet as Usagi finished getting ready. As the blond girl was leaving the room, the cat called out to her, causing her to pause with one hand on her doorknob.

"I'm proud of you, Usagi-chan. You've grown so much," Luna said.

Usagi returned to the bed in two quick steps and picked up the cat, hugging her tightly. "Thank you, Luna."

Usagi met Makoto and Minako about a block away from her house. The two girls smiled and waved as Usagi approached, although Minako's movements were slow and obviously pained. Usagi ran the last few steps to join her friends, greeting them both warmly. Part of her wished Minako had agreed to stay out of this fight, but she knew her friend would never stay away.

"Are we ready for this?" Usagi asked, echoing Luna's doubts.

"Absolutely," Minako replied with a wink.

"Those two have it coming," Mako added, "and I want to see this Boss who's causing so much trouble!"

Usagi nodded and felt instantly relieved. "Great. Let's get going!"

They caught the first bus of the day going downtown, picking up Rei on the way. The girls were silent for most of the trip, lost in their own thoughts about the impending battle. They were so consumed by their contemplations that they nearly missed their stop. Piling out of the bus a block away from Mikko's store, they began to walk quickly down the street.

The area was all but deserted, none of the stores lining the street were open for business yet. The eerie quietness of the normally boisterous downtown set everyone's nerves on edge. Suddenly, Rei stopped moving, her eyes wide with fear and her face pale. The other girls turned to look back at her in confusion and growing alarm.

"Rei-chan?" Usagi asked worriedly.

"I can sense them," Rei whispered. "They've grown stronger. They know we're near, but I don't think they can find us."

"We'd better move faster," Minako said.

"I hope Mikko is okay," Usagi sighed

The four girls took off at a run to Mikko's apartment. They arrived breathless to find the store still dark, but the side door leading to the upstairs apartment was slightly ajar. Usagi scrambled up the stairs, ignoring Rei's warnings to slow down and be careful. Usagi burst into the apartment and cried out in horror. She heard her friends coming up behind her but barely registered their astonished gasps since she could not take her eyes off the scene.

Mikko's apartment was all but destroyed. The furniture was in pieces and scattered around the room. There were charred marks on the walls and ceiling, holes in the floor and walls, and broken glass and dishes on the ground. Clearly there had been a fight here.

"Mikko?" Usagi called into the hollowed out room. "Mikko?"

"I don't think she's here," Mako said.

"I wonder what happened," Rei murmured. "Mikko must have fought someone here last night."

"Do you think she was taken?" Usagi asked in a quiet voice.

Her friends fell quiet, their eyes taking in the wreckage. Rei put her hand on Usagi's shoulder as the blond girl's eyes filled with tears. Mako dropped the piece of shattered wood she was holding and turned to face her friends.

"We're not getting anything done standing around here," she decided. "Let's go."

"Where?" Usagi asked.

"To the asteroid. It's where their base is, so I bet that's where Mikko is."

Minako opened her mouth to say something, but closed it without making a sound. The gesture was noticed, however. Luna's words echoed in Usagi's head.

_Are you sure you're ready for this? Minako is still recovering from her attack._

But Mako had been attacked too, although her powers had not been stolen. She had not died, but she had enough of a reason to seek revenge. Usagi's eyes strayed to a small figure strewn in the corner. Shrugging off Rei's hand, she moved to pick it up. It was a small doll, carved of wood and painted to look exactly like Sailor Minos. It was burned in various places, and one of the arms had broken off, but Usagi knew who had carved it and why.

"We have to go," Usagi agreed. "For Mikko."

Sailor Moon and her senshi walked across the road from the dark store to the abandoned lot. The streets were still deserted, in spite of the growing lateness of the morning. Normally by now a few stores were starting to open, and a few people were wandering the streets. It was almost as if the people of Tokyo were aware of the impending battle and had decided to stay indoors where it was safe. Sailor Moon swallowed the rising fear in her throat and concentrated on moving her feet forward.

The others were quiet too, as absorbed in their thoughts as they had been on the bus only a few short hours ago. The situation had changed drastically, almost too much for them to handle. The four girls were about to leap into the unknown, not for the first time, without the outer senshi, Tuxedo Kamen, or even Sailor Mercury as back up. They were completely alone.

"Look!" Sailor Venus exclaimed, pointing to the lot.

Two figures materialized in the centre of the dirt filled lot. One was standing, the other on its knees on the ground. The senshi ran forward, hoping for the best but expecting the worst. They found Aura standing with one hand on her hip and the other holding a long crystal sword pointed at the other figure's bowed head.

"Aura!" Sailor Moon snarled.

The kneeling figure raised her head.

"Sailor Janus!" Mars whispered.

Janus looked severely beaten, with bleeding cuts and bruises all over her skin. Her hair was cut in places and her fuku was torn. The blade at her throat dug into her flesh, causing a trickle of blood to meander its way down her collar bone. She had chains on her wrists and ankles.

"Sailor Moon…" Janus croaked.

The sword bit deeper and she fell silent. Her large turquoise eyes stared at the senshi, but their message was too obscured by pain to be clear. Sailor Moon took a step forward, and Aura grabbed Janus by the hair, pulling her head back far enough that a single thrust would severe her head.

"Watch it, brat," Aura said. "My dear sister is overdue for a hair cut."

"Let her go," Jupiter demanded.

Aura laughed. "Why do the good guys always say that? This bait is still useful until the fish are in the net."

"What do you want?" Sailor Moon asked, tears in her eyes.

"You know what I want," Aura replied. "Surrender your powers, and her death will be painless."

"Run, Sailor Moon!" Janus gasped. "Remember your promise!"

Sailor Moon hesitated. She glanced from Janus to the crazed Aura, and then to her friends. They all nodded in response to her unspoken question, and Sailor Moon smiled gratefully at them.

"Forgive me, Sailor Janus," Sailor Moon said.

She held out her hand and the Crystal Rapier, the gift that had been given to her by Janus, materialized in her grip. She held it at the ready, challenging Aura to a duel. Aura laughed.

"A rematch? But this time, you'll have no help," Aura accepted.

She snapped her fingers and a yellow bubble of energy appeared around Janus, sealing her inside. Similar force fields trapped the other senshi, so that only Aura and Sailor Moon were able to move freely.

"Sailor Moon!" Mars cried, pounding on the field in vain.

"En garde!" Aura exclaimed, brandishing her sword.

Sailor Moon took a deep breath to calm the butterflies in her stomach, and advanced. The battle was furious, sparks illuminating the air as the two swords clashed together. The trapped senshi watched in breathless anticipation as their leader dueled with one of the best. Janus watched each move Sailor Moon made with growing pride. She was brought back to happier times on the Moon.

_"This is stupid," Princess Serenity sighed. "I'll never get this."_

_ "Patience, Highness," Mikko said with a grin. "Patience and practice and you'll soon be as skilled as I am."_

_ Serenity made a face, staring at the rapier in her hand. "If you say so, but I don't know when a princess will ever need to use a sword. I'll have the Crystal when I'm Queen."_

_ Mikko laughed. "Challenge your mother to a duel one day, Highness. You'll be surprised."_

Sailor Moon had the advantage, forcing Aura backwards. The blades move like a blur, when suddenly one of the swords was released. Time slowed as the weapon soared through the air, landing with a clatter beside Sailor Jupiter's cage. Nothing move as the sword trembled to a halt and all eyes turned from the abandoned sword to the duelists. Sailor Moon had Aura against the wall, with the blade of her Crystal Rapier at her throat. Both girls were breathing heavily, and bleeding from numerous minor scratches inflicted during the battle.

"Surrender," Sailor Moon said.

Aura's eyes were wide with surprise as she stared at the weapon by her throat. Smiling, she raised her eyes to look at Sailor Moon.

"You're not the killing type," Aura said.

Sailor Moon's eyes narrowed, but she sighed. "You're right. I'm not that type."

She took a few steps back, but kept her rapier pointed at Aura. The other girl relaxed slightly and began to hum to herself, smiling the whole time. She was acting like a child who, after being caught doing something bad, was waiting to be released with a warning.

"But I can't let you continue what you've been doing," Sailor Moon continued. "You must be stopped."

Aura stopped humming and blinked. "What?"

Holding her rapier so the blade was in front of her face, Sailor Moon placed one of her hands on the blade and closed her eyes. The crescent moon on her forehead gleamed, and the blade glowed in response.

"Crystal Rapier Purification!" Sailor Moon cried, slashing down with the sword causing a wall of light to speed towards Aura.

The girl gasped as the light headed straight for her. She shut her eyes against the brightness and braced herself for the pain that was sure to come. When nothing happened, she opened one of her eyes and found herself in a world of pure light. Relaxing her body and opening her other eye, she looked around the entirely white landscape.

"Hello?" she called.

_Be at peace_, a soothing voice told her.

Aura was utterly confused. "Who's there?"

A figure appeared out of the whiteness. It was a woman, dressed in a plain dress and wearing a white apron. She crouched down and held out her arms.

"Mother?" Aura whispered. "But you're dead! I killed you!"  
"Darling," the woman called. "Come here."

Aura felt herself running towards the figure, who seemed to be growing larger as she moved. She threw herself into her mother's arms and sighed as she felt the arms wrapping around her.

"I will love you, no matter what you've done," her mother said.

"Mommy," Aura whispered. "I missed you."

The two remained motionless, a woman and her young daughter, reunited in death as they could never have been in life.


	9. Debt Repaid

Chapter Nine

Debt Repaid

The force fields that surrounded the senshi vanished as the light from Sailor Moon's attack faded. Aura had vanished without a trace, leaving Sailor Moon standing with her rapier hanging loosely from one hand, staring at the spot where her adversary had once been. Sailor Mars and the others ran over to join her.

"What happened?" Jupiter asked. "Where did she go?"

"She's finally happy," Sailor Moon whispered.

"You are too kind," a new voice told them.

The four girls turned around to see Shade standing next to Sailor Janus, who was still trapped in her bubble cage. Mars, Venus, and Jupiter placed themselves in front of Sailor Moon, who had been weakened by the duel with Aura.

"Both of my sisters out of the way, thanks to you," Shade said. "I owe you a debt of gratitude."

"What happened to your face?" Mars called.

Shade raised a gloved hand to his cheek, scarred from where Jupiter had cut him with her earring. His face reddened and he glared at Sailor Mars. Jupiter smiled and laughed.

"You'll never stop us now, Sailor brats," Shade snarled. "The machine is complete, except for the final piece. We will be unstoppable, and the entire world will tremble before our power!"

Shade vanished, taking Janus with him. The four senshi stared in shock at the place where their friend had been a second ago. Sailor Moon raised her head and squinted her eyes, wondering if she could see the asteroid from where they stood.

"We've got to hurry," Venus was saying.

"What did he mean by 'machine', I wonder," Mars mused.

"They've got Janus," Jupiter exclaimed. "We have to save her."

"Let's go," Sailor Moon said quietly.

The other three looked at her. She smiled sadly at them. "Let's go. Let's teleport to the asteroid and save the world."

Smiling, the three senshi nodded and they all joined hands.

"We'll need to concentrate harder than we ever have before," Mars said. "We've never teleported with less than five people before."

"I'll use the Crystal's power," Sailor Moon assured her. "We'll make it."

Closing their eyes, the senshi focused their powers. In a flash, they had disappeared from the Earth and were soaring through space.

The senshi found themselves standing alone in a desolate landscape. They were surrounded on all sides by barren rock, under the starry night sky, with the large shape of the Earth looming just out of reach in the distance. The air was thin and cold, and Sailor Moon shivered and hugged herself to keep warm. She turned full circle, taking in the environs of the rock before her eyes settled on a tall factory-like building.

"That must be the place," Mars said, following Sailor Moon's gaze.

Sailor Moon said nothing, but began to walk slowly forward, her blue eyes locked on her goal. She heard her friends following her, their shoes kicking up the loose rocks as they moved, but her mind was focused on the building. Shade was there, with Janus, and the mysterious Boss who had caused all their suffering and hardships. Sailor Moon picked up the pace, her determination forcing her forward. She would save them.

The two large doors of the building were wide open, revealing an empty corridor that disappeared into the darkness. Sailor Moon hesitated and the other senshi caught up to her. They all stared into the abyss.

"Looks like we're expected," Jupiter remarked.

"We'd better not keep our host waiting, then," Venus added.

The girls entered the building, walking slowly and cautiously down the hall. The only sound was their shoes echoing on the hard ground, and the pounding of their hearts. Surprisingly, the light that had illuminated the factory doors followed them, keeping the area ahead and behind them masked in shadows. Their nerves were tight as they waited anxiously for an attack, each of them aware at how easy this was.

Finally, the corridor ended and the light expanded to illuminate the centre of a huge room, keeping the walls and corners in total darkness. On a pedestal rising from the centre of the floor was a yellow sphere with a person inside it.

"Sailor Janus," Sailor Moon cried.

The black haired senshi raised her head, her turquoise eyes widening in surprise and alarm. She raised herself to her knees and pounded her fists on the sphere, yelling something the other senshi couldn't hear. She pointed back the way they had come, shaking her head.

"Mars Flame Sniper!" Sailor Mars called, shooting her arrow at the bubble.

Janus ducked instinctively, but the arrow glanced harmlessly off the surface of her cage. Janus glared at Mars angrily, and Mars shrugged.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" Sailor Venus sent her attack at the base of the column, hoping to knock Janus down by destroying the foundation. Janus' sphere rocked dangerously close to the edge, but stayed put. Janus began shouting something at the senshi.

"What impolite guests!" Shade's voice came from the shadows.

The light expanded further, revealing the rest of the room. Shade stood to the left of the pillar, his gloved hands resting lightly on his hips. He had a smug grin on his face, and the cut on his cheek was a startling red contrast to his pale skin. Directly behind Shade was a large object covered in a white sheet. It rose almost to the ceiling of the building, and was as wide as a small car. Next to the sheet sat an enormous man, lounging on hundreds of cushions. He appeared to be too fat to move, but his dark beady eyes betrayed his cunning intelligence.

"Allow me to introduce the Boss," Shade said, gesturing to the obese man.

"Enough chit-chat, Shade," the Boss snapped, his voice slightly wheezing.

"I apologize," Shade said with a bow. "To business, then."

He clapped his hands and the pedestal holding Janus vanished. The yellow sphere fell to the ground, bouncing once before coming to rest next to Shade. Janus blinked a few times in surprise, but was unhurt by the fall. Now that she was closer, Sailor Moon could see she still wore the bruises and chains she had suffered under Aura's care. Janus rose to her knees and began gesturing rapidly to Sailor Moon, speaking at the same time.

"Release her," Sailor Moon demanded.

"Of course," Shade answered, levitating he sphere into the air. "My dear former sister would be an excellent way to demonstrate our fabulous machine."

Janus' sphere sailed towards the huge sheet covered object. The Boss laughed in delight as Shade whipped the sheet off as if he were a magician revealing his latest trick. The senshi were dumbstruck by what they saw. The base of the machine looked like a large above-ground swimming pool, with flashing lights and buttons on the side. Three legs protruded from the top of the pool and held a large white crystal suspended in the air. Above the crystal was a glass tube that led to what looked like a laser beam, which was currently pointed at the ground. Inside the pool was a swirling green mist that crept up the sides of the basin as if trying to escape.

"Holy crap," Jupiter whispered.

"My greatest achievement," the Boss rasped. "Harvesting the strength and powers of the senshi and focusing them on a single person. Imagine the possibilities."

Sailor Mars took a step forward. "You're killing us to make yourself a super senshi?"

"Not a senshi!" the Boss roared. "I will be a god! But I require the powers held by my dear daughter."

Janus gazed at the fat man sadly from her prison.

"You can't have her," Sailor Moon declared. "You'll have to go through us first."

The Boss smiled, his rotted teeth full of old food. "If you insist. Shade, add them to my collection."

Janus floated to the ground, resting next to the machine. She sat, watching in growing horror as Shade removed his gloves to attack the younger senshi. Her eyes flickered towards the green mist and hope sparked. Bowing her head, she closed her eyes and clasped her chained hands together.

"I'm sorry for what I've done," Janus prayed, "but there are innocents in danger. Use my strength as I have used yours. Please, help them!"

Shade held out his hands, palms forward, and blasted the four girls with an intense beam of dark energy. The senshi scattered to avoid being hit, chased by Shade's laughter as they moved. Sailor Moon rolled into a crouch and tried to figure out the best course of action. The Boss was watching the battle with bemused interest, and Janus seemed to be deep in prayer. Mars, Venus, and Jupiter were at the other corners of the room, with Shade walking slowly towards the centre, randomly blasting around the room. Sailor Moon held out her hand for her rapier and was comforted by its weight in her hand. She bit her lip in silent frustration.

"Everyone's in danger," she thought to herself. "What do I do?"

Suddenly, the room was filled with a dense fog that made it impossible for anyone to see anything. Sailor Moon rose to her feet, peering into the mist. Her eyes widened in surprise as she realized she could see Shade, and the other senshi, moving around. She felt a hand on her shoulder and spun around quickly to see a figure resembling Sailor Mercury vanishing in the fog. The figure paused to look at her before disappearing completely. Sailor Moon smiled, tears welling up in her eyes and she gripped the rapier tightly.

Moving as silently as she could, she approached Shade. She could hear him muttering obscenities against the sudden haze as she drew closer, but his back was to her. Standing tall, Sailor Moon held her rapier out towards him, preparing to end this battle with a single thrust. Before she could strike, Shade whipped around, his own sword in hand, and parried her attack. The clank of the two blades meeting echoed through the room as the mist dissipated. All eyes were on Shade and Sailor Moon as they stood motionless in the centre of the room, their swords locked together. Shade smiled playfully.

"Shall we dance?" he asked.

Sailor Moon's eyes narrowed and she took a step backwards, breaking free of the stalemate. Shade did the same. Sailor Jupiter watched fearfully, hoping that Sailor Moon would be able to fight against Shade. As she stared at the duel, she saw a figure materialize next to Sailor Moon, holding her hand and helping to guide her blade. It was a senshi with short wavy reddish-blonde hair and two white locks framing her face. She wore a blue fuku that exposed her navel, with feathered shoulders and a yellow collar. Her skirt was white with blue and yellow stripes along the bottom, and she had white bows on the front and back of her uniform. She wore tall blue boots on her feet. The figure looked over at Jupiter and winked.

"Do you see that?" Jupiter asked Venus.

"What? The girl with black hair done up in buns?" Venus replied.

"No, the reddish-blonde with white streaks."

"Sorry. I only see the black haired girl."

"And I see a girl with long black hair and dark skin," Mars added. "What's going on?"

Sailor Moon and Shade continued to fight tirelessly. Shade was slowly gaining ground, pushing Sailor Moon towards the strange machine and the pool of green mist. Sailor Mars nocked an arrow on her bow and let it fly at Shade, but he deflected it calmly with a single blast from his hand.

"What do you think will happen if Sailor Moon falls into that pool?" Jupiter asked.

"I don't know, but it can't be good," Mars replied. "We have to stop him."

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!" Jupiter cried, hoping her attack will at least distract Shade from his assault.

The attack did nothing. Sailor Moon was almost against the side of the pool, when Venus heard pounding behind her. Janus was banging on the side of her spherical prison, trying to get their attention. The three senshi tore their eyes from the duel and turned to face Janus, who pointed to a panel on the machine and mimicked pulling a lever down. Mars nodded and ran to the mechanism, yanking the lever. The yellow sphere disappeared and Janus was free. Venus destroyed her chains with a flick of her Love-Me Chain and they all turned again to assess the situation. The Boss remained oddly silent at this turn of events.

"We can't let her go into the pool," Janus said quickly. "The mist is the senshi essences that Shade and Aura collected. Since they're not senshi themselves, they had to deposit what they stole in there."

Venus looked at the pool with newfound disgust. Janus smiled as she looked to a seemingly empty part of the room and nodded. Venus noticed that the black haired girl she had seen earlier was standing there, and nodding back.

"You can see them?" Venus asked.

"I'll explain that later," Janus promised. "I'll distract Shade. You three stop that machine."

Sailor Moon cried out in terror as Shade's weapon came dangerously close to her throat. She was exhausted, but managed a clumsy save. Janus charged into the battle, throwing her attack as she drew closer.

"Yin Yang Magic!" she exclaimed, tossing a discus.

The discus exploded on impact, causing Shade to drop his sword and stagger backwards a few steps. Sailor Moon stared in surprise, as did Janus as she saw a senshi with gray hair wearing a purple and blue fuku come up behind Shade and push him.

"Sailor Moon!" Janus exclaimed, pushing the blonde girl out of the way as Shade stumbled towards them, still holding his face in both hands. He stumbled by them, and Janus noticed the reddish-blonde haired figure give him a swift kick in the behind, causing him to fall forward and into the pool. He cried out as the swirling green mist dragged him down and out of sight.

"Are you okay?" both Janus and Sailor Moon asked one another.

They both laughed and embraced. From the shadows came the faint sound of clapping. Venus, Mars, and Jupiter stopped their sabotage to see what was going on, and Sailor Moon held Janus tightly by the hand.

"Bravo, daughter," the Boss said. "You defeated Aura and Shade, but then I always knew you were the strongest."

"Knock it off," Janus replied. "I'm not the same person you corrupted. I've remembered my past."

"Really? And is it all sunshine and roses?" the Boss asked. "What about the life I gave you? I provided everything you could want. I gave you strength and power, and this is my payment? Betrayal?"

Janus hesitated. Sailor Moon glanced up at her and saw tears in her turquoise eyes.

"I even loved you like a daughter," the Boss continued. "You were always special to me. That's why I made you part of my plan. When I am a god, you will rule beside me. The universe will be ours to mould."

"The universe is fine the way it is," Janus said stiffly. "Forget about this stupid plan and go home. I don't want to have to kill you, for old times' sake."

The Boss exhaled a long, wheezing breath. "You know I have to finish what I started, Janus."

He pushed a button on a receiver he held in one of his chubby hands. The laser cannon turned slowly until it was pointing at him. The senshi froze, unable to see how they would stop him now. Janus had her eyes locked on the Boss' face the entire time, but now she turned to Sailor Moon and took both of the girl's hands into her own. Sailor Moon stared up at her and read the pain in her face.

"I know I promised," Janus said quickly, "but please forgive me. This is the only way."

Before Sailor Moon could open her mouth, Janus released her hands and ran to the pool. The green mist was spinning much faster know, being drawn up towards the crystal, and a blackness was visible at the bottom. Janus didn't hesitate, but leapt into the air and executed a perfect dive directly into the middle of the container.

"Janus!" Sailor Moon screamed, suddenly realizing what her friend had said.

The Boss laughed as the laser prepared to fire. Venus, Mars, and Jupiter moved to where Sailor Moon stood, staring stupidly at the machine. Mars put her arms around her, and looked up at the Boss. The laser looked as if it were about to fire when suddenly the entire machine went dead.

"Huh?" the Boss gasped, pushing his button a few more times.

The pool exploded into a geyser of green vapour, knocking down the complicated equipment above it. The Boss roared with anger and frustration as all the senshi essences he had collected spread out across the floor like a flood. Slowly, the mist formed shapes, human shapes that lay on the ground. The four senshi stared in amazement as all the senshi who had died were reformed in front of their eyes.

"What's going on?" Sailor Uranus asked, rubbing her head. A short distance away, Sailor Neptune was also rising to her feet.

"Haruka-san, Michiru-san," Sailor Moon whispered, hardly daring to believe it was real.

"Ooo… my head," Sailor Stellanova gasped as she sat up.

"Étoile-chan," Sailor Moon fell to her knees.

"Usagi-chan?" a quiet voice spoke. "Are you all right?"

"Ami…" the tears flowed freely from Sailor Moon's eyes as Sailor Mercury knelt in front of her, looking at her with worry. Sailor Moon threw her arms around Mercury's neck and held her tightly. Behind her, the other senshi were also crying as they were reunited with their friends.

"Last thing I remember was fighting a strange senshi with turquoise eyes," Sailor Neptune was saying. "She had just killed you, Haruka."

"Apparently it's not until death parts us," Sailor Uranus replied, holding Neptune by the hand.

Other senshi were forming as well, including the four figures that had helped defeat Shade. They were standing together in a group, staring at Sailor Moon and the other senshi. Finally, a tall girl with dark skin and her black hair in two buns on top of her head hesitantly walked forward. She was wearing a white fuku with feathered sleeves, a red collar with green bows, a green skirt with a yellow and red stripe, and green boots.

"Princess?" she said softly. "Princess Serenity? Is that you?"

Sailor Moon looked up and rose to her feet. The senshi in front of her smiled widely and laughed. Turning back to her friends, she gestured for them to come forward.

"I am Sachi Hiroko, Sailor Fortuna," she said with a bow. "It is wonderful to see you again, your Highness. You as well, Lady Venus."

Sailor Venus blinked in surprise. "How do you know me?"

"You were Sailor Janus' team," Sailor Moon said slowly. "She told me. Each of you trained one of us."

Fortuna nodded, tears in her eyes. "I helped make Sailor Venus the best she could be. I trained her to lead the senshi when Princess Serenity became queen."

Sailor Jupiter looked at Fortuna's team and immediately recognized the girl with the reddish-blonde hair. She smiled and came forward, holding out her hand for Jupiter to shake.

"I'm Sailor Andromeda, or Toushi Leiko when I'm not on duty," she said with a wink. "Mako-chan, it's great to see you again."

"I take it you were the one who trained me?"

"Everyday. We used to fight in the garden while Suma over there was trying to meditate."

The tall senshi with the very dark skin and incredibly long black hair rolled her eyes and cross her hands over her chest. Her fuku was the same style as the other two, only her collar and skirt were dark blue and her bows orange. She wore tall orange lace-up boots on her feet.

"Chishikino Suma, Sailor Aegyptus," she said by means of introduction. "Lady Mars, pleasure to see you well."

Mars bowed to her former teacher. "We used to meditate in the garden?"

Suma smiled. "When I could catch you."

The final senshi shyly stepped forward and looked at Ami. The two girls even looked similar. She had silver hair and pale skin, and her collar and skirt were purple, while her bows were blue. She also had ankle length purple boots on.

"Ami-chan," she said with a smile. "I wish you remembered me. I am Kon Yasu, Sailor Pandora."

"Sensei," Ami said with a slight bow.

Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune exchanged confused looks. Even Sailor Stellanova, who had been part of the fight longer than the other two senshi, was trying hard to figure out what was being said. Sailor Moon glanced over to the machine in sorrow.

"Mikko did what she had to do to save us all," Sailor Fortuna said gently.

"Her death was honorable," Aegyptus added.

"All she wanted was forgiveness," Sailor Moon whispered, her eyes straying to the rapier that lay discarded by the machine.

"A touching reunion," the Boss spoke up.

"You are the one who set Janus against us," Sailor Pandora said with uncharacteristic harshness in her voice.

"I did," the Boss replied. "When she arrived on my asteroid, the opportunity was too good to pass up. An untrained, powerless senshi with a unique ability to get me what I needed."

"She was a child!" Fortuna exclaimed.

"She was a senshi," the Boss snapped. "You are all alike. So high and mighty because you have magical powers. Without them, you're just like us."

"Yes," Sailor Moon agreed. "We are just like you without our powers, but we can't get rid of them so easily. So we have to make do with what we have, like you do. We have to decided whether to be good or evil, like you do. We have to chose between helping or hurting, and we have to live with the consequences of our actions. Exactly like you must do."

The Boss was silent.

"Leave now," Sailor Moon continued, her voice getting stronger as she spoke. "Return to wherever you came from and don't come back. You're alone now."

"Yes, alone," the Boss said quietly. "Very well. You've won. You've taken my family from me and left me powerless and alone. Get out of here."

The senshi filed towards the door, Sailor Moon bringing up the rear. She could hear the muffled sobs of the Boss as she left the room. Pausing at the doorway, she heard him call out to Janus, his lost daughter, asking her for forgiveness.


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue

Usagi stood outside her house, tears in her eyes. Haruka and Michiru stood before her, the small car they rented waiting for them. Usagi ran forward and threw her arms around Haruka's waist, holding the girl tightly as she tried to stop the tears from coursing down her face. Haruka hugged her back, smiling awkwardly at the less-than-amused Michiru.

"Calm down, kitten," Haruka said. "We won't be gone long. A few weeks, a month at the most."

"But a European tour?" Usagi complained.

"The record company won't let me out of the contract that easily," Michiru said with a smile. "Apparently being dead isn't a good enough excuse for canceling a world tour."

Usagi forced a smile. "No problems this time, though, right?"

The senshi had told the entire story to Haruka and Michiru, explaining all about Calliste and Mikko, and the role the Protectors once played on the Moon. It had taken some time, but everything was finally sorted out and returning to normal.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Michiru asked.

Usagi nodded. "I'm still sad about Mikko-chan, but it's getting better. Talking to Hiroko-san is helping, and we're all learning a lot about when we were on the Moon."

Michiru smiled. "I'm glad."

"We have to go," Haruka said, hopping into the car. "The probably won't hold our flight. Watch us on TV, kitten!"

"I promise to send you postcards," Michiru added, entering the passenger's side.

As the car sped away, Usagi waved until it was completely out of view.

Usagi entered the Shrine and was pleasantly surprised to see the Protectors were already there. Ami and Yasu were seated under a tree, deep in conversation with a few books scattered around them. Makoto and Leiko, who insisted on being called Lei-lei, were having a mock battle in the courtyard. Hiroko and Minako were also deep in conversation when suddenly they both burst into laughter. Ducking into the Shrine itself, Usagi found Rei and Suma meditating in front of the sacred fire. Feeling suddenly alone, Usagi went to join Minako and Hiroko. In a few minutes, they were all gathered together and discussing their recent victory.

"I still can't understand what happened to Calliste," Usagi said. "Why didn't she get reborn with all of you?"

The Protector senshi all exchanged glances. "There was no Sailor Minos among our group," Suma said.

"We've been discussing this," Ami said, motioning to Yasu, "and we have a hypothesis."

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a photocopy of a newspaper article. It was written in Greek, but a translation was stapled to the back. There was a photo of a young girl who looked like Calliste in the article.

"What's this?" Minako asked.

"Remember how Calliste told us she got her powers?" Ami said. "She said when she was a girl, she had gone to Knossos with her mother and a vision of a woman there had given her a pendant. That article says that Calliste Xylia died in a freak cave-in at the ruins of Knossos when she was five years old."

"That doesn't make any sense," Rei said. "How could she have come home to her family if she was dead?"  
"A few days later, the newspaper printed a retraction," Ami continued. "Apparently, Calliste's body was never found in the ruins, but she showed up on her parents' doorstep three days later."

"What does that mean?" Usagi asked.

"It may be a long shot," Ami pressed on, glancing at Yasu for support, "but we think that the Calliste that returned to her parent's house was not the real Calliste. The vision that gave her senshi powers… created her after the image of the girl who had died."

"Then who was Calliste?" Lei-lei asked in frustration. "Get to the point!"

"Calliste was the embodiment of Sailor Janus' powers – our Sailor Janus," Yasu concluded, shooting an irate look at Leiko. "When we were reborn, Janus ended up on an asteroid far from Earth without her powers. Somehow her powers made it to Earth without her and were formed into a person. When Janus arrived in search of senshi powers, naturally she was drawn to her own missing powers."

"Remember Mikko telling us how killing Sailor Minos had filled the void?" Ami added. "How else could those powers have done that if they hadn't been Mikko's to begin with?"

"So Calliste wasn't a real person at all?" Usagi whispered.

"She was real," Hiroko said. "She grew up, made friends, fought as Sailor Minos. She was as real as any of us."

"But that explains why she wasn't reborn," Ami finished. "When Janus killed her, she took her own powers back. That's why you were able to heal her, Usagi. She was made whole again."

_"Thank you, Sailor Moon. I am whole again."_

Janus' words echoed through Usagi's mind. The power crazed Janus and the kind and noble Minos were the same person. That was why they were not reborn. That was why Janus was such a good person when she was healed. She was whole again.

Tears formed in Usagi's eyes, and she wiped them away. The others were chatting amongst themselves again, but Usagi was lost in thought. She wished she had had more time with her sensei, the one who had taught her to be selfless and merciful. Still, Usagi knew wherever Mikko was now, she was finally at peace.


End file.
